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WITH  THE  FLAG  IN 
-THE  CHANNEI 


JAMES  BARNES 


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GIFT   OF 
Prof.    C.    A.    Kofoid 


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WITH  THE  FLAG  IN  THE  CHANNEL 


He  was  past  the  sentry  now. 


(See  page  141.) 


WITH  THE  FLAG  IN  THE  CHANNEL 

OR,   THE    ADVENTURES  OF 
CAPTAIN   GUSTAVUS  CONYNGHAM 


BY 

JAMES   BARNES 

AUTHOR  OF   MIDSHIPMAN   FARRAGUT,  THE   HERO   OF  ERIE 
COMMODORE   BAINBRIDGE,    ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  CARLTON  T.  CHAPMAN 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND     COMPANY 

1902 


Eacfi 
csilox: 


•  •  *     t,«COPYRIG»TJ   Wp02»     •       • 

By  D.  •lPJ>^ETOW  JtKQ  tCpIVJPANY 


Published  September,  1902 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


PAGE 


I. — The  project x 

II.— The  voyage  of  the  Charming  Peggy         .        .        .        .  io 

III. — Boarded 20 

IV.— In  Holland  and  France 29 

V. — Commissioned 4I 

VI.— The  Surprise 47 

VII. — The  Channel  cruise 55 

VIII.— The  Harwich  packet 62 

IX. — The  arrest 70 

X. — In  Paris  again 81 

XI.— The  Revenge 87 

XII. — Sailing  orders 94 

XIII. — In  the  Channel IQ8 

XIV. — On  the  Irish  coast u6 

XV. — The  capture I25 

XVI. — Imprisonment X33 

XVII. — Freedom I44 

XVIII.— Conclusion I54 

v 


M111786 


LIST   OF   FULL-PAGE   ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


He  was  past  the  sentry  now Frontispiece 

The  yawl  was  in  the  midst  of  the  smother 51 

A  score  of  men  poured  over  the  bows 64 

At  the  end  of  the  wharf  was  a  rakish-looking  vessel     ...  94 

The  dreaded  Revenge  was  lying  in  the  harbor        ....  121 

One  after  another  the  men  were  pulled  forth  .....  151 

Facsimile   of    Conyngham's    petition    to   Congress,    December   26, 

1797 154 

The  "lost  commission" 157 

vii 


WITH  THE  FLAG  IN  THE  CHANNEL 


CHAPTER  I, 

THE    PROJECT 


Mr.  James  Nesbit,  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  stood 
leaning  against  the  long,  polished  desk  at  the  farther  end 
of  which  two  clerks  were  hard  at  work  copying  entries 
into  a  ponderous  ledger.  On  Mr.  Nesbit's  face  there  was 
a  look  of  preoccupation.  He  drew  a  deep  breath,  rapped 
nervously  with  his  finger  on  the  desk,  and,  reaching  be- 
hind his  ear,  under  the  folds  of  his  heavy  white  wig,  threw 
down  a  large  quill  pen.  Then,  taking  a  big  silver  snuff- 
box out  of  his  pocket,  he  helped  himself  neatly  to  a  pinch 
of  snuff.  Having  done  this  he  waited  anxiously,  as  if 
the  expected  sneeze  might  jar  his  mind  into  better  work- 
ing order.  It  seemed  to  answer,  for,  after  a  preliminary 
rumbling  gasp  and  an  explosion,  he  blew  his  nose  vio- 
lently, and  turning  addressed  one  of  the  clerks. 

"  If  Mr.  Conyngham  comes  during  the  next  few  min- 
utes, tell  him  I  shall  be  at  '  The  Old  Clock  '  coffee-house," 
he  said. 

With  that  he  took  down  a  great  cloak  from  one  of  the 
wooden  pegs  that  lined  the  wall  and  stepped  to  the  door. 
It  was  raining  torrents,  and  the  gutters  were  running  full. 
.With  an  agility  that  was  surprising  in  so  heavy  a  man 


2  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

and  one  of  his  years,  he  gathered  the  cloak  about  him, 
and  picking  up  his  heels  ran  swiftly  around  the  corner. 
Just  as  he  turned  he  collided  with  another  man  much 
younger  and  slightly  smaller,  who  was  hurrying  in  the 
opposite  direction.  They  grasped  each  other  in  order  to 
keep  their  feet,  and  at  once  burst  into  laughter. 

''  Well  met.  mdeed,  David!"  cried  Mr.  Nesbit,  even 
before  he  had  uttered  a  word  of  apology,  "  but  you've 
weJ-nigh  knocked  the  breath  out  of  me." 

'And  me  also,"  responded  the  smaller  man.  "You 
charged  around  the  corner  like  a  squadron  of  horse. 
Why  such  a  hurry,  sir?  " 

"  A  short  explanation,"  was  the  answer,  "  'tis  past  my 
meal  hour,  and  I  had  waited  for  you  till  I  could  stand  it 
no  longer.  Years  ago,  methinks,  I  must  have  swallowed 
a  wolf,  and  at  feeding  hours  he's  wont  to  grow  rapacious 
and  must  be  satisfied.  Come,  here  we  are  at  '  The  Old 
Clock.'  In  with  us  out  of  the  rain  and  we'll  satisfy  the 
ravenous  one." 

As  he  was  speaking  Mr.  Nesbit  almost  pushed  his 
friend  ahead  of  him  through  a  doorway  and  entered  the 
grill-room  of  the  tavern.  A  mingled  odor  of  roast  beef, 
ale,  and  tobacco  smoke  saluted  their  nostrils,  and  the 
proprietor,  his  wide  waistcoat  covered  by  a  gleaming  new 
apron,  greeted  them  cheerfully. 

"  A  wet  day,  gentlemen,"  he  observed,  "  but  good 
weather  for  the  farmers." 

"  And  for  ducks  and  geese  and  all  such,"  interjected 
Mr.  Nesbit,  "  but  I  would  have  you  observe,  Mr.  Turner, 
that  I  am  a  dry-goods  merchant  and  wish  the  bad  weather 
would  confine  itself  to  the  country." 

As  he  spoke  he  took  off  his  heavy  cloak  with  one 


THE   PROJECT 


hand,  and  relieved  his  friend  of  one  almost  as  large,  from 
which  the  water  was  dripping  on  to  the  sanded  floor.  Giv- 
ing instructions  to  the  landlord  that  they  should  both  be 
hung  by  the  fire  where  they  might  dry,  he  turned  and 
glanced  about  the  room,  nodding  to  two  or  three  men 
who  sat  at  a  table  in  the  corner. 

"No  one  but  our  friends  here  to-day,"  he  remarked; 
"  we  won't  join  them,  however.  Let  us  sit  apart,  for 
there  is  much  I  would  discuss  with  thee." 

"  And  there  is  much  I  have  to  say  also,"  returned  the 
other,  "  that  is  not  for  the  general  ear.     Is  the  post  in?  " 

"  Late  on  account  of  the  roads,  I  take  it,"  was  the  re- 
sponse, "  but  there  will  be  important  news  from  Boston 
and  New  York,  I  warrant  you.  But  now  to  feed  the  wolf! 
A  most  inconvenient  beast  at  times,  but  most  easily  pla- 
cated. Ah!  there's  a  cut  of  beef  for  you,  and  now  some 
of  your  best  mulled  ale,  Mr.  Turner,  and  thanks  to  you." 

As  if  he  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  begin  any  conversa- 
tion until  Mr.  Nesbit's  personal  menagerie  was  quieted, 
the  smaller  man  said  nothing,  and  for  some  minutes  the 
two  ate  in  silence.  At  last,  with  a  sigh  of  pleasurable  re- 
lief, James  Nesbit  pushed  himself  back  from  the  table  and 
set  down  the  empty  tankard  with  a  bang. 

"  Your  news  first,"  he  said.  "  What  is  it,  Friend  Con- 
yngham?  " 

"  I  have  been  successful,"  was  the  rejoinder.  "  She's 
not  very  large,  but  is  prepossessing  to  look  at,  and  they 
say  a  good  one  in  smooth  water.  Tho'  only  a  coaster 
brig  we  think  she'll  serve  our  purpose,  and  as  no  time  was 
to  be  lost  I  have  concluded  the  bargain.  She  is  ours  in 
joint  ownership." 

"  You  have  been  deft,  David,"  said  Mr.  Nesbit,  "  but 


4  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

there  is  a  matter  of  more  importance,  in  view  of  the  short- 
ness of  the  time.     Have  you  found  the  man?  " 

"The  very  one;  at  least  believe  me  that  I  am  influ- 
enced but  by  my  best  judgment.  You've  heard  me  speak 
of  him  often.  My  kinsman,  Gustavus.  He  is  just  in  yes- 
terday from  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  with  a  load  of 
fruit,  rum,  and  molasses." 

"  The  same  young  seaman  who  married  Mistress  Anne 
Hockley  some  time  ago?  " 

"  The  same.    The  captain  of  the  Molly." 

"  I  would  he  had  brought  in  a  cargo  of  powder  and 
cannon-balls.  Aye,  or  saltpeter  and  cloth  and  medicines. 
We'll  need  them,  for  mark  my  words " 

"  Hush,"  interposed  Mr.  Conyngham  suddenly. 
"  Your  old  enemy,  that  tory,  Lester,  and  Flackman  the 
lawyer,  have  just  entered.  They  are  a-prowl  for  news, 
I  take  it." 

Mr.  Nesbit  lowered  his  voice. 

"  The  time  will  come  when  we  can  talk  loudly  any- 
where," he  said.  "  You  may  call  me  a  '  hothead,'  but 
after  what  has  been  happening  up  Boston  way  there  is 
no  drawing  back.  When  shall  we  see  Captain  Conyng- 
ham? "  he  asked,  "for  the  longer  we  put  the  matter  off 
the  greater  the  risk  will  be." 

"  This  very  afternoon.  He  informed  me  there  were 
some  pressing  matters  to  be  attended  to,  and  that  he 
would  repair  to  your  office.  I  have  given  him  but  few 
particulars,  but  he  is  eager  for  the  undertaking.  He 
knows  of  the  vessel,  too,  and  pronounces  her  fit  for  it." 

As  he  spoke  the  younger  man  turned  and  looked  out 
of  the  window,  against  which  the  wind  was  driving  the 
large  drops  of  rain. 


THE   PROJECT 


"  Egad,  sir!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  As  I  am  living,  who 
comes  around  the  corner  but  the  very  man  himself!  I 
will  stop  him  at  the  door  and  fetch  him  in." 

As  he  spoke  Mr.  Conyngham  hurriedly  rose  and,  open- 
ing the  door,  gave  a  seaman's  hail,  followed  by  a  wave  of 
the  hand. 

The  inrush  of  fresh  air  caused  all  the  men  seated  about 
the  room  to  turn  suddenly,  and  they  were  just  in  time 
to  see  the  entrance  of  a  short  but  well-knit  figure  dressed 
in  a  sailor's  greatcoat,  from  under  which  appeared  a 
pair  of  heavy  sea  boots.  He  threw  a  shower  of  water 
from  his  sleeves  and  his  hat  as  he  grasped  his  cousin's 
hand. 

"  Homeward  bound!  "  he  cried.  "  But  any  port  out  of 
the  storm." 

"  Well,  then,  come  in  and  cast  anchor  beside  the  table 
here.  Off  with  your  wet  things  and  be  comfortable.  You 
know  our  friend,  Mr.  Nesbit." 

"  I  knew  your  father  and  all  your  family,"  spoke  the 
elder  man  who  had  been  addressed,  rather  ponderously. 

"  By  the  powers,  you  know  half  the  County  of  Done- 
gal, then,  and  more  than  I  do,"  laughed  the  sailor,  with 
a  touch  of  a  rich  rolling  brogue.  "  But  years  ago,"  he 
added,  "  I  met  you,  sir,  when  I  was  with  Captain  Hen- 
derson, who  was  in  the  Antigua  trade.  I  was  but  a  slip  of 
a  lad  then,  and  no  doubt  you  have  forgotten  me." 

"  No,"  responded  Mr.  Nesbit,  "  I  have  a  good  mem- 
ory, and,  what  is  more  to  the  point,  I  remember  what 
Captain  Henderson  said  of  you." 

"  It  was  his  only  fault,"  returned  the  sailor,  shaking 
his  head,  "the  loose  tongue  he  had!  But  perhaps  he 
spoke  in  the  heat  of  anger,  and  might  think  better  of  it." 


6  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

"  Oh,  it  was  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of,"  replied  Mr. 
Nesbit,  laughing  in  his  turn. 

"  Oh,  an  amiable  enough  man  at  times;  perhaps  I 
wronged  him  then.     He  was  always  a  great  palaverer." 

The  young  captain  had  seated  himself  by  this  time, 
and  after  the  last  speech  he  turned  and  looked  about  the 
room.  His  glance  fell  for  a  moment  upon  the  two  men, 
Lester  and  Flackman,  who  had  been  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Nesbit  in  his  conversation  a  few  minutes  previously.  He 
half  nodded  toward  them,  and  the  action  called  his 
cousin's  attention. 

"  So,  Captain  Gustavus,  you  know  our  friend  Lester," 
said  David  quickly. 

"  Just  well  enough  to  keep  an  eye  on  him,"  was  the 
rejoinder.  "  I  saw  him  talking  with  the  mate  of  that  old 
Dutch  Indiaman  that  lies  astern  of  the  Charming  Peggy. 
I  judged  from  the  way  he  was  talking  that  she  was  the 
subject  of  conversation,  so  I  hove  to  and  asked  them  a 
few  silent  questions." 

"  What  did  you  do  that  for?  "  asked  David  Conyng- 
ham.     "  Silent  questions!  " 

"  Sure,  to  find  out  how  little  they  know,"  answered 
the  captain  roguishly.  "  It  is  as  good  to  know  how  little 
a  man  knows  as  how  much,  sometimes." 

"  And  what  was  that  little?  "  asked  Mr.  Nesbit. 

"  That  he  knows  who  bought  her  in  Baltimore,"  was 
the  reply. 

"Did  he  say  so?" 

"  Not  in  words  spoken  to  me.  For  he  would  have 
denied  that  he  had  any  interest  in  the  matter.  But  by 
means  of  a  little  trick  that  I  learned  when  a  schoolboy, 
and  that  I  have  cultivated  since  for  my  amusement.     It 


THE   PROJECT 


served  me  a  good  turn  more  than  once.  I  got  it  from 
an  Irish  schoolmaster  in  Letterkenny.  It  was  the  one 
thing  he  taught  me  without  knowing  how  he  did  it. 
Whisht,"  went  on  the  captain,  "  listen,  and  I'll  prove  it  to 
ye.  There's  a  man  sitting  with  his  back  to  you,  but 
facing  me.     Can  you  hear  what  he  says?" 

"  He's  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,"  responded  Mr. 
Nesbit.  "  No  man  could  hear  what  he  says  at  that  dis- 
tance." 

"  But  I  can  see  what  he  says,"  answered  Conyngham, 
"  and  he  has  just  uttered  a  speech  that  would  make  King 
George  shudder.  Being  a  believer  in  soft  language  I  will 
not  repeat  it.  It's  all  in  watching  a  man's  lips.  Sure  this 
old  schoolmaster  was  deaf  as  a  post,  but  he  could  hear 
what  you  were  thinking  of  if  you  only  whispered  it. 
Many  a  good  lickin'  I  got  before  I  was  sure  of  it.  But 
now  to  business,"  he  added,  "  if  you're  going  to  talk  of 
it  this  day.  For  I  must  confess  to  you,  gentlemen,  that 
I  have  a  wife  waiting  for  me,  and  while  it's  pleasant  here, 
I'd  like  to  get  under  way  for  home." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Conyngham,"  returned  Mr.  Nesbit,  who 
was  a  trifle  upset  by  the  young  officer's  loquaciousness 
and  yet  his  directness,  "  we  want  you  to  take  command 
of  the  Charming  Peggy.  That  much  your  cousin  has 
informed  you.  You  are  to  pick  a  crew  as  quick  as  pos- 
sible and  to  sail  for  Holland." 

"  With  what  cargo?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  In  ballast,"  was  the  reply.  "  It's  of  no  importance 
what  you  bring  over;  it's  what  you  shall  bring  back." 

"  And  that  would  be  easy  guessing,  sir.  I  could  write 
it  out  blindfolded." 

"  Perhaps  so;  but  of  that  more  to-morrow,  when  we 


8  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

will  meet  in  my  counting-house.  We  won't  detain  you 
longer." 

As  Captain  Conyngham  was  slipping  on  his  still  wet 
greatcoat,  he  leaned  forward  and  spoke  softly  to  the 
others,  who  had  risen,  but  were  standing  by  their  chairs: 

"  Our  fine  gentlemen  yonder  have  put  two  and  two 
together,"  he  said,  "  as  why  shouldn't  they?  And  the 
man  with  the  fat  jowls,  whom  you  call  '  Lester,'  has  just 
made  a  remark  that  it  is  a  good  thing  to  remember,  for 
he  has  just  said  that  he  would  keep  an  eye  on  the  Charm- 
ing Peggy,  and  mark  the  time  of  her  sailing.  By  the 
same  token  there  are  two  English  men-o'-war  just  off  the 
capes  of  the  Delaware.     I  sailed  by  them  in  the  fog." 

"  Forewarned  is  forearmed,  Captain  Conyngham," 
returned  Mr.  Nesbit,  "  and  we'll  keep  an  eye  on  Mr. 
Lester." 

"  If  he  comes  down  by  my  ship  let's  pray  he's  a  good 
swimmer,"  responded  the  captain,  jamming  his  heavy  hat 
down  over  his  black  hair  and  drawing  his  queue  from 
under  his  coat  collar.  With  that  he  pulled  his  sea  boots 
well  up  his  legs  and  went  out  into  the  storm. 

For  a  minute  Mr.  David  Conyngham  and  the  senior 
partner  remained  silent,  and  then  the  latter  spoke. 

"  An  odd  character,"  he  said  suggestively,  "  this  kins- 
man of  yours.  Might  I  say  without  any  offense,  that  he 
has  a  certain  amount  of  assurance." 

"  Call  it  self-reliance  better,"  responded  David,  "  it 
was  always  so  with  him  as  a  boy.  But  mark  you  this,  sir, 
behind  it  all  he  has  the  courage  that  is  daunted  at  noth- 
ing, and  ask  any  seaman  with  whom  he  has  sailed  if  he 
knows  of  a  better  or  more  resourceful  man  in  emer- 
gencies." 


THE   PROJECT 


"  He  comes  of  good  stock,"  rejoined  Mr.  Nesbit,  "  eh, 
David?  " 

The  younger  man  caught  the  elder's  twinkling  eye 
and  bowed. 

"  We've  all  been  kings  in  Ireland,"  he  returned,  "  and 
to  quote  Gustavus,  '  surely  one  king  is  as  good  as  an- 
other.' But  the  news  that  you  had  for  me  has  not  been 
told.    What  is  it?" 

"  A  secret  of  state,  my  friend,  and  one  that  must  be 
kept  as  quiet  as  the  grave."  He  leaned  toward  Conyng- 
ham  as  he  spoke.  "  Our  good  Dr.  Franklin  is  going  to 
France  to  represent  the  cause  of  the  colonies  at  the  court 
of  the  French  king,  and  by  the  time  he  does  so,"  he 
added,  "  we  shall  no  longer  be  in  the  category  of  '  rebels,' 
for  there  are  great  doings  afoot." 

"  I  know,  I  understand,"  answered  the  younger  man, 
his  face  lighting.     "God  prosper  the  new  nation!" 

"  God  prosper  the  new  nation,"  repeated  Mr.  Nesbit, 
"and  confusion  to  the  enemies  of  liberty!  " 

The  storm  had  abated  suddenly,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
a  ray  of  warm  spring  sunlight  pierced  the  cloud.  Mr. 
Nesbit  and  the  junior  partner  rose,  and  arm  in  arm  went 
out  into  the  street. 

The  glances  of  the  tory  and  Flackman  the  lawyer 
followed  their  exit,  and  as  they  disappeared  the  two  men 
fell  to  whispering  earnestly. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CHARMING  PEGGY 

It  was  lucky  that  the  water  was  smooth  and  that  the 
Charming  Peggy  was  on  her  best  tack,  otherwise  the 
frigate  that  was  now  dropping  fast  astern  would  have 
overhauled  her  ere  she  had  been  well  clear  of  the  capes. 
The  gun  that  the  Englishman  had  fired  had  had  a  ring 
of  disappointment  in  it,  an  admonition  more  of  warning 
than  of  threat.  Captain  Conyngham,  looking  back  over 
the  low  taffrail,  waved  his  hand  as  he  saw  her  haul  her 
wind. 

"  Good-by  to  you,  my  petty  tyrant,"  he  cried  half 
aloud.     "  I  hope  I've  seen  the  last  of  the  likes  of  you." 

The  crew,  whose  expressions  had  changed  during  the 
short  chase  from  anxiety  to  hope,  and  from  hope  to  satis- 
faction, looked  up  at  the  little  quarter-deck  where  the 
captain  was  pacing  to  and  fro  with  firm,  springing  steps. 
They  were  a  motley  lot,  this  crew,  mostly  American  sail- 
ormen  from  Baltimore,  a  half-Spaniard  from  the  West 
Indies,  and  two  strong  fellows  who  had  about  them  the 
unmistakable  marks  of  man-of-war's-men.  In  all  there 
were  but  fifteen,  including  the  cook,  a  big,  curly-haired 
Virginia  negro  with  a  rolling  eye  and  a  soft,  high-pitched 
voice. 

The  young  captain  had  been  more  than  satisfied  with 

10 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CHARMING  PEGGY   n 


the  way  they  had  jumped  at  his  orders  during  the  few  ex- 
citing moments  when  it  was  a  moot  question  whether  he 
would  be  able  to  cross  the  frigate's  bows  at  a  range  be- 
yond gunshot.  He  had  just  managed  to  do  it  and  no 
more,  but  it  had  proved  to  his  satisfaction  that,  given 
a  smooth  sea  and  a  light  wind,  the  Charming  Peggy  could 
outfoot  any  of  her  ponderous  pursuers.  He  well  knew 
that  the  dangerous  time  would  soon  come  when  in  Eng- 
lish home  waters,  and  that  there  stratagem,  as  well  as 
speed,  would  have  to  be  resorted  to  if  occasion  demanded. 
He  could  scarcely  hope  to  reach  a  Dutch  or  French  port 
without  some  further  adventure,  and  to  tell  the  truth  he 
was  in  a  measure  prepared  for  a  certain  form  of  it.  On 
the  forecastle  rail  were  mounted  two  swivel  guns,  and 
amidships  a  short  six-pounder.  Not  a  formidable  arma- 
ment, to  be  sure,  but  sufficient,  if  at  close  range,  with 
the  element  of  surprise  added,  to  account  for  any  small 
merchant  vessel  that  the  Peggy  might  fall  in  with. 

Still,  in  his  sailing  orders,  nothing  had  been  said  about 
the  taking  of  prizes.  He  had  merely  been  ordered  to  get 
safely  in  to  some  Dutch  port  and  bring  out  as  soon  as 
possible  a  miscellaneous  cargo  of  such  materials  and  sup- 
plies as  merchants  could  dispose  of  most  readily  to  the 
fighting  branch  of  the  revolted  colonies. 

All  was  plain  sailing,  with  pleasant  breezes,  until  at 
the  end  of  the  twenty-third  day  after  leaving  the  capes. 
Then  a  storm  sprang  up  with  high  winds,  and  the  tum- 
bling, rolling  seas  that  mark  the  edge  of  the  Bay  of  Bis- 
cay, and  there  the  Charming  Peggy  proved  to  be  a  disap- 
pointment. Safe  enough  she  was,  but  she  butted  and 
jumped  and  turned  like  a  tub  in  a  mill-race.  She  acted 
like  a  bewitched  and  bewildered  creature,  and  in  order  to 


12  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

prevent  having  to  run  for  it,  Captain  Conyngham  had  re- 
course to  an  expedient  often  used  in  vessels  of  light  ton- 
nage. He  rigged  out  a  sea-anchor,  and  for  three  days 
the  observations  showed  that  the  Peggy's  position  was 
about  stationary.  On  the  fourth  day  the  weather  cleared 
a  bit,  the  wind  shifted,  and  twenty-four  hours'  good  sailing 
to  the  northward  brought  her  in  sight  of  the  English 
coast.  The  wind  holding  fair,  she  entered  King  George's 
private  channel  with  all  light  canvas  flying,  and  every- 
thing seeming  to  promise  well  for  the  future.  Numerous 
sail  had  been  sighted  on  either  hand,  but  Captain  Con- 
yngham kept  well  to  the  eastward,  close  in  to  the  low- 
lying  French  coast.  Clumsy  fishing  craft  and  trading 
vessels  had  been  passed  near  at  hand,  but  not  a  sign  of  a 
man-of-war,  or  anything  to  give  the  slightest  concern 
as  to  the  safety  of  the  Charming  Peggy.  But  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  second  day,  after  the  clearing  away  of 
the  storm,  there  appeared,  bowling  along,  and  holding 
such  a  course  as  would  bring  her  soon  within  hailing  dis- 
tance, a  jaunty  single-masted  vessel  that  needed  no  sec- 
ond glance  to  determine  her  class  and  quality. 

Captain  Conyngham  knew  her  to  be  one  of  the  fast 
king's  cutters  long  before  he  had  looked  at  her  through 
the  glass,  but  he  held  his  own  course  as  if  unconcerned, 
and  now  the  expected  resort  to  strategy  was  necessary. 
At  his  orders  the  Dutch  flag  had  been  shown,  and  the 
cutter,  although  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  showed  ap- 
parently no  signs  of  suspicion.  The  watch  on  deck  lolled 
over  the  rail,  glancing  from  the  approaching  vessel  to 
their  young  skipper,  who  like  themselves  was  leaning  over 
the  side  puffing  a  cloud  of  smoke  from  a  long  clay  pipe. 
Occasionally,  however,  he  would  give  an  order  to  the 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   CHARMING  PEGGY      13 

helmsman  that  was  obeyed,  and  it  was  seen  that  almost 
imperceptibly  the  brig  was  edging  up  nearer  the  wind, 
and  that  the  approaching  cutter,  that  was  sailing  close- 
hauled  also,  would  pass  astern  of  her. 

The  captain  turned  for  an  instant,  from  measuring  the 
lessening  distance  between  the  two  vessels,  to  see  how  the 
crew  were  taking  it,  for  any  untoward  action  now  might 
attract  the  other's  attention.  Captain  Conyngham  could 
not  make  up  his  mind  at  first  as  to  whether  she  intended 
hailing  him  or  not,  and  still  in  doubt,  he  spoke  to  the 
first  mate,  a  lean  New  Englander,  who  sat  on  the  edge 
of  the  cabin  transom,  smilingly  addressing  him. 

"  Mr.  Jarvis,  I  wonder  which  of  us  speaks  the  best 
Dutch?  "  he  half  queried.  "  If  that  fellow  yonder  intends 
to  hail  us,  we've  got  to  get  an  answer  ready.  I'm  pretty 
good  on  Spanish,  and  I  can  '  parlez-vous  '  after  a  fashion, 
but  Dutch  has  been  Dutch  to  me.  We  should  have  flown 
the  Spanish  flag,  but  it's  too  late  now,  bad  luck  to  it." 

"  Wa-al,"  the  Yankee  answered,  "  I'm  thinkin'  if  we 
just  squeeze  her  the  least  bit  more  she'll  be  at  jus'  such  a 
distance  that  y'u  couldn't  make  nothin'  out  through  a 
speakin'-trumpet,  and  Dutch  is  Dutch  to  most  English- 
men anyhow." 

By  this  time  the  figures  on  board  the  approaching 
cutter  could  be  plainly  seen.  On  the  quarter-deck  there 
were  two  officers  standing  together,  while  forward  the 
crew  lay  bunched  together,  sheltering,  behind  the  low 
bulwarks,  from  the  spray  that  dashed  over  her  bows. 
Again  Captain  Conyngham  looked  at  his  own  crew  stand- 
ing in  the  waist.  Talking  together  were  the  two  sailor- 
men  who  had  had  the  mark  upon  them  of  the  royal  serv- 
ice.    One,  Captain  Conyngham  had  suspected  from  the 


14  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

very  first  of  being  a  deserter  from  one  of  the  English 
ships  that  had  touched  at  an  American  port.  His  name 
— Higgins — also  might  have  gone  to  strengthen  his  sus- 
picion, and  he  had  a  little  Devonshire  twist  in  his  speech. 
The  other,  a  shorter  man,  with  light  blue  eyes,  was  a 
compatriot  of  the  young  captain;  he  had  a  broad  stretch 
of  upper  lip,  and  the  strong  brogue  of  the  west  coast. 

Conyngham's  eye  fell  upon  these  two  as  they  stood 
there  and  suddenly  he  started.  They  were  whispering 
almost  beneath  their  breath.  Strange  to  say  the  sup- 
posed deserter  showed  no  signs  of  the  fear  that  the  occa- 
sion might  have  demanded;  yet  he  was  a  trifle  nervous, 
for  his  fingers  hitched  at  the  lanyard  of  his  clasp-knife. 

"  Higgins,"  cried  Captain  Conyngham  suddenly,  "  be- 
low with  you  and  fetch  me  one  of  the  broadaxes  from 
the  carpenter's  chest.  And  stay,"  he  said;  "bring  me 
up  a  dozen  nails,  two  of  each  kind.  Sort  them  out  care- 
fully and  make  no  mistake  about  it." 

The  man  hesitated. 

"  Below  with  you  there,"  the  captain  repeated,  half 
fiercely,  "  and  no  questions." 

Reluctantly  the  tall  sailor  went  down  the  forward 
hatchway. 

"  McCarthy,"  called  Captain  Conyngham  again,  "  go 
to  my  cabin  and  tell  the  boy  to  send  me  up  my  trumpet, 
and  stay  below  until  I  send  for  you." 

The  other  men  had  listened  to  these  orders  in  some 
astonishment.  Even  the  first  mate  had  cast  an  inquiring 
glance  at  the  captain,  but  had  said  nothing. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  boy  appeared  with  the  speaking- 
trumpet.  Captain  Conyngham  took  it  and  held  it  out 
of  sight  beneath  his  coat. 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   CHARMING   PEGGY      15 

The  position  of  the  English  cutter  was  now  a  little 
abaft  the  beam  of  the  Charming  Peggy,  but  she  was  drop- 
ping farther  and  farther  astern  with  every  foot  of  sailing. 

Suddenly  across  the  water  there  was  a  hail.  "  Heave 
to,  I  want  to  speak  to  you,"  came  plainly  and  distinctly. 

The  captain,  after  his  sudden  orders  to  the  sailors,  had 
resumed  smoking.  Now  he  took  the  long  pipe  from  his 
mouth  and  leaning  forward  placed  his  hand  behind  his 
ear  as  if  he  had  not  understood. 

Again  the  hail  was  repeated.  This  time  the  captain 
waved  his  hand  denoting  complete  understanding.  Then 
he  turned  as  if  he  was  giving  some  orders  aloud  to  the 
crew,  but  instead  he  told  the  steersman  to  luff  a  little, 
and  spoke  quietly  to  the  first  mate: 

"  Two  minutes  more  and  we'll  be  out  of  it,  Mr.  Jar- 
vis,"  he  said;  "  she  will  never  fire  at  us." 

The  cutter  still  held  on,  and  was  by  this  time  well 
astern.  The  officer  who  had  hailed  was  standing  with  his 
companion  expectantly  leaning  against  the  shrouds. 

Conyngham  whipped  the  trumpet  from  under  his  coat, 
as  if  it  had  just  been  handed  him,  and  bellowed  something 
back  over  the  taffrail.  Then  he  waved  his  hand  cheerfully 
and  went  on  smoking  his  pipe. 

The  two  men  on  the  English  vessel  were  evidently  per- 
plexed. But  the  Charming  Peggy,  now  having  gone  back 
to  her  course  again,  and  having  the  weather-gage,  was 
rapidly  leaving.  At  last,  as  if  her  suspicion  had  been 
satisfied,  the  cutter  wore,  let  go  her  sheets,  and  went  off 
free  to  the  southeast. 

The  men  on  the  Charming  Peggy  were  all  in  a  broad 
grin,  and  Mr.  Jarvis  was  almost  hugging  himself  in  sheer 
delight  and  relief. 


16  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

"  I  thought  you  spoke  no  Dutch,  sir,"  he  said,  laugh- 
ing.   "  What  was  it  you  said  to  him?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea,"  was  Conyngham's  re- 
joinder, "  but  I  think  it  had  some  Irish  in  it." 

He  did  not  appear  amused,  however,  and  a  moment 
or  two  later  he  stopped  suddenly  in  the  pacing  that  he 
had  taken  up  again.  With  a  stern  look  on  his  face  he 
ordered  that  the  two  men  he  had  told  to  go  below  should 
be  sent  up  to  him  at  once. 

If  the  crew  had  been  surprised  at  what  they  had  just 
witnessed,  they  were  soon  to  be  more  so.  The  two  men 
appeared  and,  hat  in  hand,  stood  at  the  mast.  Higgins 
carried  in  one  hand  a  bundle  of  iron  nails  and  in  the  other 
the  ax,  one  side  of  which  was  flat  like  a  hammer. 

Captain  Conyngham  ordered  him  to  step  forward,  and 
he  handed  the  nails  and  ax  to  Mr.  Jarvis,  who  stood 
wonderingly  by  his  side. 

"  Higgins,"  asked  Captain  Conyngham  sternly,  "  do 
you  know  what  I  want  these  for?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

The  man  was  pale,  but  over  his  face  there  flickered 
a  smile  of  affected  amusement  or  bravado. 

"  I'll  show  you. — McCarthy,  step  up  here." 

The  two  men  stood  before  him. 

"  Now,  Higgins,"  said  Conyngham  sternly,  "  I'll  tell 
you  what  I  wanted  the  nails  and  ax  for.  I  wanted  to 
nail  the  lies  that  you  are  going  to  tell  me." 

The  man  began  to  protest  feebly,  and  the  captain 
stopped  him. 

"  What  were  you  saying  just  as  that  cutter  came 
within  hailing  distance?  " 

"  I  was  saying  nothing,  sir." 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  CHARMING  PEGGY   17 

"  Lie  number  one;  you  were." 

The  captain  changed  one  of  the  nails  from  one  hand 
into  the  other. 

"  You,  McCarthy,  what  did  you  say  to  Higgins?  " 

"  I  said  nothing,  sir." 

"  Lie  number  two." 

The  captain  looked  from  one  to  the  other  with  his 
piercing  eyes,  and  then,  almost  without  a  movement  of 
preparation,  his  bare  fists  shot  out  to  left  and  right,  and 
the  men  dropped  where  they  stood  like  knackered  beeves. 

It  had  all  come  so  suddenly  that  the  crew,  at  least 
those  who  had  been  watching,  were  held  spellbound  in 
astonishment.  Even  Mr.  Jarvis  looked  frightened,  and 
gazed  at  his  superior  officer,  wondering  if  he  had  lost 
his  senses. 

"  Here,  pick  these  men  up,  some  of  you,  and  put  them 
on  their  feet,"  ordered  Conyngham  sternly. 

Half  dazed,  the  two  men  were  propped  against  the 
railing. 

"  What  are  you  doing  aboard  this  vessel?  " 

"  Sailing  as  honest  seamen,"  responded  the  English- 
man, who  had  recovered  his  equilibrium  in  a  measure,  and 
in  whose  eyes  glared  a  fierce  light  of  mad  hatred,  as  he 
returned  Conyngham's  steadfast  look. 

"  Lie  number  three.  But  we  won't  go  on.  I'll  tell 
you  what  you  said.  When  you  saw  that  we  were  out- 
pointing that  cutter,  you  said  that  when  she  was  near 
enough  to  hail,  you  would  take  your  knife  and  cut  away 
the  sheets,  and  that  McCarthy  here  would  let  go  the  jib- 
halyards,  and  that  you  would  then "  he  paused  sud- 
denly.    "  Open  your  shirt,"  he  ordered. 

The  men's  faces  were  white  and  terrified.     Higgins 


18  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

fumbled  weakly  at  his  breast  and  then,  all  at  once,  col- 
lapsed forward  on  the  deck.     He  had  fainted  dead  away. 

Acting  on  Conyngham's  orders,  Mr.  Jarvis  bent  over 
the  prostrate  man  and  drew  forth  and  displayed,  to  the 
astonished  eyes  of  all,  a  small  British  Union  Jack. 

The  crew  fell  to  murmuring.  Captain  Conyngham 
was  all  smiles  again.  He  waited  until  Higgins  had  been 
revived  by  a  dash  of  cold  water.  Then  he  spoke  to  the 
two  frightened  and  now  trembling  men. 

"  Your  conduct  shall  be  reported,"  he  said,  "  to 
Messrs.  Lester  and  Flackman,  secret  agents  of  the  British 
Crown.  They  should  not  employ  such  joltheads.  Now 
below  with  these  rascals.    Put  them  in  irons,  Mr.  Jarvis." 

In  charge  of  the  first  mate  and  the  boatswain,  the  two 
prisoners  were  marched  below.  The  captain  resumed  his 
hurried  pacing  of  the  quarter-deck,  and  the  crew  suddenly 
jumped  at  his  order  to  shorten  sail,  for  the  wind  had  in- 
creased and  was  blowing  in  unsteady  puffs. 

During  the  early  hours  of  the  night  it  blew  half  a  gale, 
but  died  away  in  the  early  morning  hours,  and  at  day- 
break the  Peggy  found  herself  jumping  uneasily  in  the 
rough  water  with  her  sails  flapping  idly  against  the  masts. 
All  about  her  was  a  thick  opaque  white  haze.  One  of  the 
Channel  mists  had  suddenly  swept  down  from  the  north. 
It  was  almost  impossible  to  see  even  the  length  of  the 
deck. 

The  lookout  forward,  who  had  been  peering  over  the 
bows,  came  stumbling  aft  to  where  the  first  mate,  whose 
watch  it  was,  stood  by  the  wheel. 

"There's  a  vessel  close  off  our  bow,  sir;  listen,  and 
you  can  hear  her!  She  can't  be  more  than  a  pistol-shot 
away." 


THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   CHARMING   PEGGY      19 

In  the  stillness  there  could  be  heard  the  slow  squeak- 
ing and  creaking  of  blocks  and  yards,  and  even  the  faint 
tapping  of  the  reef-points  against  the  sails,  as  she  rose  and 
fell  to  the  seas.  Clearer  and  clearer  it  sounded  every 
minute. 

Slowly  but  surely  the  two  ships  were  drifting  together. 

"  Jump  below  and  call  the  captain  to  the  deck,"  or- 
dered Mr.  Jarvis  quietly. 

It  was  evident  the  Charming  Peggy  was  in  for  further 
adventures. 


CHAPTER  III 

BOARDED 

By  the  time  that  Captain  Conyngham  reached  the 
deck  the  outlines  of  the  stranger  could  be  seen.  She  tow- 
ered huge  and  indistinct  in  the  white  gloom  high  above 
the  little  Peggy,  almost  threatening  to  roll  her  down  as 
she  swept  broadside  on. 

"A  frigate!"  muttered  Conyngham  below  his  breath 
to  Mr.  Jarvis,  as  he  noticed  the  double  line  of  ports  out 
of  which  the  black  muzzles  of  the  guns  stretched  men- 
acingly. Just  as  he  spoke  the  Charming  Peggy's  bowsprit 
struck  gently  in  the  foreshrouds  of  the  big  one,  and  with 
hardly  a  jar  they  came  together.  Strange  to  say  there 
had  been  no  warning  shout  from  either  side.  But  that  the 
larger  vessel  had  perceived  the  Peggy  first  was  evident, 
for  instantly  half  a  score  of  men,  a  few  armed  with  cut- 
lasses, swarmed  down  the  frigate's  side  and  jumped  on 
deck.  They  were  headed  by  a  young  officer,  who  walked 
quickly  aft. 

"  What  vessel  is  this?  "  he  asked. 

There  was  no  use  in  dissembling  then.  Plainly  the  jig 
was  up  with  a  vengeance. 

Quietly,  with  his  arms  folded,  Captain  Conyngham 
gave  the  name  of  the  Charming  Peggy,  but  added  that 
she  was  merely  a  merchant  vessel  from  Philadelphia  in 
ballast  proceeding  to  Holland  to  be  sold. 


BOARDED  21 


At  this  moment  a  voice  from  the  frigate  hailed  the 
deck,  and,  calling  the  young  officer  by  name,  asked  him 
the  name  of  the  clumsy  craft  that  had  dared  to  run  afoul 
so  deliberately  of  one  of  his  Majesty's  ships  of  war. 

"  A  Yankee  rebel  brig,"  returned  the  young  officer. 
"  I  think  we've  made  a  prize,  sir;  and  she's  armed,  too," 
he  added,  noticing  for  the  first  time  the  six-pounder  amid- 
ships. 

The  unseen  owner  of  the  voice  from  the  frigate's  quar- 
ter-deck replied  again. 

"  Examine  into  her  papers  and  if  she's  all  right  let  her 
proceed.  If  not,  we'll  put  a  prize  crew  on  her  and  send 
her  into  Portsmouth." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  was  the  lieutenant's  answer,  and  then 
he  turned  and  requested  that  Captain  Conyngham  would 
produce  his  papers  and  muster  his  crew  in  the  waist. 

Conyngham  politely  asked  the  young  officer  to  follow 
him  down  to  the  cabin.  As  he  opened  the  chest  that  con- 
tained the  charts  and  papers  his  mind  was  working  quick- 
ly. He  knew  that  it  might  be  easy  to  claim  that  the 
Charming  Peggy  was  the  property  of  loyal  British  sub- 
jects, for  there  was  nothing  to  prove  otherwise.  No  one 
but  himself  and  Mr.  Jarvis  knew  what  her  mission  was, 
and  he  did  not  doubt  that  he  could  pull  the  wool  over 
the  young  officer's  eyes,  if  it  were  not  for  the  presence  of 
the  two  plotters  now  confined  in  the  forward  hold.  If 
their  presence  should  be  discovered  and  their  story  lis- 
tened to,  he  doubted  if  anything  he  might  say  could  save 
him  from  being  taken  into  a  British  port;  and  the  pros- 
pect before  him  was  exceedingly  unpleasant,  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  in  his  mind  a  long  war  was  about  to  begin. 
Still,  he  hoped  that  the  officer's  search  would  not  prove  a 


22  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

diligent  one,  and  that  the  presence  of  Higgins  and  Mc- 
Carthy would  not  be  discovered.  The  officer  looked  at 
the  papers  carefully,  and  his  words  after  glancing  at  them 
cast  a  gloom  upon  Captain  Conyngham's  hopes. 

"  I  shall  have  to  take  a  look  into  your  hold,"  he  said 
peremptorily,  "  and  ask  a  few  questions  of  the  crew." 

Conyngham  smiled. 

"  You  will  find  something  there  in  the  hold  about 
which  I  intend  to  tell  you,"  he  said,  "  and  we  can  both 
be  gainers,  I  am  sure,  by  the  fact.  I  have  with  me  two 
troublesome  rapscallions,  who,  I  think,  owe  a  term  of 
service  to  his  Majesty.  Two  deserters,  I  am  sure,  that  I 
shall  be  glad  to  turn  over  to  you,  and  I  can  say  good  rid- 
dance to  them  with  pleasure." 

It  was  a  bold  step  he  was  taking  and  he  knew  it,  but 
it  was  the  only  way  he  could  forestall  any  story  that  the 
plotters  might  tell,  and  there  was  the  one  hope  that,  being 
acknowledged  deserters,  the  men  might  be  hastened  on 
board  the  frigate  and  their  yarn  disbelieved.  He  called 
up  through  the  transom  over  his  head  to  Mr.  Jarvis,  and 
the  latter  answered  him  at  once. 

"  Bring  the  prisoners  out  of  the  hold,"  he  said,  "  and 
get  their  belongings  together  to  hand  them  over,"  he  or- 
dered. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Jarvis,  catching  the  drift 
of  the  captain's  orders.  "  We'll  be  glad  to  get  them  out 
of  the  ship,  sir." 

Just  then  the  Charming  Peggy  gave  a  slight  lurch  and 
heeled  over  to  port.  The  lieutenant  started  as  if  to  make 
for  the  companion-ladder.  Conyngham's  heart  gave  a 
bound.  He  knew  at  once  what  it  meant;  that  a  breeze 
had  sprung  up  and  that  the  two  vessels  had  broken  apart. 


BOARDED  23 


He  could  hear  the  tramping  of  feet  on  the  deck  above, 
and  then  a  sudden  crash. 

Looking  out  of  the  little  cabin  windows  he  just  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  bow  of  the  frigate  shooting  astern,  for 
having  the  larger  spread  of  canvas  set,  she  had  first 
caught  the  pressure  of  the  wind.  Her  large  jib-boom 
coming  in  contact  with  the  Peggy's  mizzenmast  had  been 
carried  away,  and  there  was  a  great  row  and  cursing  going 
on  in  her  forecastle. 

At  this  moment  Captain  Conyngham  wished  he  had 
said  nothing  of  the  prisoners,  but  it  was  too  late.  Both 
he  and  the  English  lieutenant  hastened  on  deck. 

Although  the  wind  was  blowing  very  fresh  the  fog 
and  mist  were  as  thick  as  ever,  and  the  frigate  had  dis- 
appeared. But  from  astern  a  voice  shouted  through  a 
trumpet: 

"  Aboard  the  brig.     Mr.  Holden  there!  " 
The  young  officer  replied  to  the  hail  and  the  voice 
went  on.    "  You  will  stand  by,  and  if  necessary  we'll  send 
a  boat  on  board  of  you." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  answered  the  lieutenant. 
Then  he  turned  and  looked  at  the  crew,  who  were 
standing  together  in  the  port  gangway. 

Captain  Conyngham  was  about  to  speak  to  him  when 
a  man  stepped  forward.  He  wore  irons  on  his  wrists, 
and  yet  attempted  to  make  an  awkward  salute. 

"  A  word,  sir,"  he  said.  "  This  is  a  Yankee  privateers- 
man,  belonging  to  Yankee  traitors  and  bound  to  Holland 
to  carry  back  powder  and  supplies.  Me  and  me  mate 
here  were  put  on  board  of  her  with  orders  to  inform  on 
her  to  the  first  British  officer  who  should  come  on  board 
of  us." 


24  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

The  young  lieutenant  looked  perplexed.  Captain 
Conyngham  still  smiled. 

"A  good  yarn,  Higgins.  Sure,  you've  got  the  im- 
agination of  a  ballad-monger,  but  it  won't  do,  my  lad. 
There's  a  good  rope's-end  and  worse  perhaps  waiting  for 
you  and  your  mate,  and  you  may  make  the  best  of  it." 

The  English  lieutenant,  still  mystified,  looked  from 
the  seaman  to  the  captain,  and  just  then  McCarthy,  who 
was  manacled  also,  stepped  out. 

"  It's  the  truth,  sir,  you've  been  told,"  he  said.  "  I 
come  from  the  Leonidas.  Captain  Chisholm  put  twenty 
of  us  ashore  in  New  York  under  orders  to  work  our  way 
into  American  vessels.  He  has  the  list,  sir.  We  were  to 
get  forty  pounds  apiece,  and  our  discharges." 

"  By  the  powers,  that  story  will  stand  proving,  my 
lad,"  rejoined  Captain  Conyngham  quietly.  "  And  now, 
Mr.  Holden — if  I  understand  that  to  be  your  name,  sir," 
he  added  politely — "  we'll  start  for  Portsmouth.  The 
course  should  be,  unless  I  miss  my  reckoning,  south  by 
west  half  west." 

Before  the  still  mystified  lieutenant  could  say  a  word, 
Conyngham  began  to  give  hurried  orders,  and  the  crew 
of  Americans  and  Englishmen  jumped  to  obey  them. 

The  two  prisoners,  protesting  loudly  and  mocked  at 
by  their  companions,  were  again  sent  below,  their  irons 
still  on  their  wrists. 

Conyngham  and  the  lieutenant  stood  side  by  side  on 
the  quarter-deck.  The  Britisher  was  a  very  young  man, 
and  perhaps  inexperienced.  At  all  events,  he  seemed  un- 
certain now  what  course  of  action  to  take.  Conyngham's 
next  words,  however,  seemed  to  reassure  him,  for  they 
evidently  spoke  his  wishes. 


BOARDED 


25 


"  We'll  run  close  to  the  frigate,  Mr.  Holden,  and  you 
can  tell  your  captain  what  you've  done,"  said  Conyngham 
quietly.  "  I'll  be  glad  to  look  into  Portsmouth  myself, 
for  I  have  some  friends  there,  and  a  cargo  of  sand  won't 
spoil  for  a  few  days'  longer  voyage." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  fog-blurred  form  of  the  frigate 
could  be  made  out  now  on  the  port  hand.  She  was  hove 
to,  her  foresail  rippling  and  fluttering  in  the  freshening 
breeze,  her  mainsail  against  the  mast,  and  her  crew  stand- 
ing by  the  tacks  and  sheets. 

"  Pray  the  Lord  that  the  fog  holds  four  hours  longer," 
muttered  Captain  Conyngham  to  himself. 

Mr.  Holden  hailed  the  frigate  through  the  trumpet. 

"  On  board  the  Minerva,"  he  shouted.  "  We're  going 
into  Portsmouth,  sir." 

"  Very  good,"  was  the  reply,  "  wait  there  for  us." 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Holden,"  spoke  Conyngham  quietly, 
"will  you  take  command  of  the  brig,  or  shall  I  con- 
tinue? " 

The  lieutenant  hesitated.  Before  he  could  answer 
Captain  Conyngham  continued: 

"  It's  a  straight  run,  sir,  and  with  this  wind  she'd  make 
it  with  her  helm  lashed;  and  now  if  you'll  allow  me,  I 
should  propose  that  we'd  go  below  and  have  some  break- 
fast. There's  one  thing  this  little  craft  can  boast,  and 
that's  a  famous  Virginia  cook.  Mr.  Jarvis,"  he  added, 
"  see  that  the  men  are  fed  and  send  Socrates  to  me  in  a 
few  minutes.  You'll  hold  the  same  course,  sir,  until  we 
return  on  deck." 

The  mate  saluted,  and  Captain  Conyngham  and  his 
guest  went  down  to  the  cabin. 

Five  minutes  later  the  negro  cook  knocked  at  the 
3 


26  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

cabin  door  and  was  bidden  to  enter.  There  at  the  table 
sat  Captain  Conyngham,  and  in  the  big  chair  beside  him 
sat  the  lieutenant. 

The  negro's  eyes  opened  in  astonishment,  for  the 
Englishman  was  tied  fast  to  the  seat,  and  a  gag  made 
of  the  captain's  handkerchief  was  strapped  across  his 
mouth! 

Captain  Conyngham  was  breathing  as  if  from  some 
hard  exertion.  The  lieutenant's  face  and  eyes  were  suf- 
fused with  angry  red. 

"  Now,  Socrates,"  said  Conyngham  slowly,  "  you  will 
cook  us  the  very  best  breakfast  that  you  can,  and  serve  it 
here  in  the  cabin  in  half  an  hour.  But,  in  the  meantime, 
take  a  message  to  Mr.  Jarvis  on  deck,  and  hand  him  this 
quietly.  There  are  ten  Britishers  with  us  and  we  still 
number  thirteen.  Tell  the  boatswain,  without  any  one 
seeing  you,  what  you  have  seen  here  in  the  cabin.  Attract 
no  suspicion,  and  try  whether  you  can  live  up  to  your 
name.     Now  go  forward  quietly." 

He  handed  a  pistol  to  the  negro,  who  slipped  it  under 
his  apron  and  went  up  on  deck. 

The  English  sailors  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the  least 
suspicious,  and  the  Americans  fell  in  readily  with  the 
apparent  position  of  affairs.  But  as  one  after  another  was 
called  to  the  galley  on  some  pretext,  they  soon  were  cog- 
nizant of  the  captain's  plot. 

The  English  sailors  had  discarded  their  cutlasses,  and 
were  grouped  with  the  others  about  the  mess-kits  that 
had  been  brought  up  on  deck,  when  suddenly  the  captain 
appeared  alone  from  the  cabin.  Mr.  Jarvis  joined  him, 
and  both  stepped  quickly  forward  toward  the  forecastle. 
The  men,  seeing  the  two  officers  approach,  arose  to  their 


BOARDED  27 


feet.  The  English  sailors  glanced  suspiciously  about 
them,  and  a  glance  was  enough  to  convince  them  that 
they  were  trapped.  At  the  elbow  of  each  man  stood  one 
of  their  whilom  hosts.  A  few  of  the  Americans  were 
armed  with  pistols,  and  the  negro  cook  with  a  big  carv- 
ing-knife stood  over  the  pile  of  cutlasses  that  they  had 
left  on  the  deck  by  the  main  fife-rail. 

"  Now,  men,"  said  Conyngham  quietly,  "  we  want  no 
cutting,  slashing,  or  shooting,  and  you're  our  prisoners. 
But  don't  be  afraid,"  he  added,  as  h'e  saw  a  look  of  fear 
come  into  the  Englishmen's  eyes.  "  We  are  no  pirates. 
You'll  get  to  Portsmouth  all  right,  where  you  can  join 
your  ship.  You'll  have  a  good  joke  to  tell  them  of  the 
Yankee-Irish  trick  that  was  played  on  you.  Take  the 
prisoners  below,  Mr.  Corkin,"  he  continued,  addressing 
the  boatswain.  "  Put  them  in  the  hold  and  mount  a 
guard  over  them. — And  now,  Socrates,"  he  added,  turning 
to  the  grinning  cook,  "  we'll  have  our  breakfast  in  the 
cabin." 

The  English  lieutenant,  released  from  his  bonds,  sat  at 
first  in  sulky  silence  and  would  not  even  touch  a  bit  of 
the  savory  rasher  that  Socrates  placed  before  him.  When 
he  went  on  deck  later  at  Captain  Conyngham's  invitation 
he  looked  off  to  the  eastward.  The  Minerva,  almost  hull 
down,  was  holding  a  course  toward  the  French  coast.  At 
the  masthead  of  the  Charming  Peggy  fluttered  the  Eng- 
lish flag,  and  in  the  distance  to  the  westward,  plain  above 
the  horizon,  rose  the  English  shores. 

"  We'll  go  in  a  little  closer,  Mr.  Holden,"  said  Captain 
Conyngham,  "  and  then  we'll  part  company,  sir." 

He  turned  to  the  first  mate. 

"  Mr.  Jarvis,"  he  went  on,  "  prepare  to  lower  the  cut- 


28  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

ter;  put  in  a  breaker  of  water,  two  bags  of  biscuit,  and  a 
bottle  of  port." 

After  half  an  hour's  more  sailing  the  brig  was  hove  to 
and  the  crew,  with  Higgins  and  McCarthy  now  freed 
from  their  irons,  pushed  out  from  the  brig's  side.  In  the 
stern  sheets  sat  the  lieutenant  disconsolately. 

He  turned  to  watch  the  brig  as  she  came  about  and 
headed  off  shore.  At  that  moment  down  came  the  Eng- 
lish flag  and  the  Spanish  took  its  place.  And  it  was  just 
at  this  minute  that  Captain  Conyngham,  looking  aloft, 
spoke  to  his  first  mate. 

"  We'll  have  a  flag  of  our  own  soon,"  he  said,  "  and 
avast  with  this  masquerading,  say  I." 

The  crew,  as  if  they  had  heard  his  words,  suddenly 
burst  into  a  spontaneous  cheer.  Their  voices,  carried  by 
the  wind,  reached  the  Englishmen  slowly  pulling  in  for 
the  distant  headlands. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN   HOLLAND   AND    FRANCE 

For  two  months  now  Captain  Conyngham  and  Jona- 
than Nesbit,  a  nephew  of  Mr.  James  Nesbit,  of  Philadel- 
phia, had  been  in  Holland  purchasing  supplies  and  outfit- 
ting the  Peggy,  after  her  safe  arrival,  for  her  return  voyage 
to  America.  They  found,  however,  that  the  difficulties 
were  greater  than  they  had  imagined.  Although  the  cargo 
had  been  placed  on  board,  at  least  the  greater  part  of  it,  so 
closely  were  the  Dutch  ports  watched,  and  those  of  France 
also,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  any  American  ves- 
sel to  set  sail  for  home  without  word  being  sent  to  the 
English  cruisers  hovering  on  the  coast  of  the  time  for 
sailing,  and  many  prizes  had  they  taken  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  harbor  mouth.  The  towns  and  seaports  were 
full  of  spies.  Both  France  and  Holland  were  then  at 
peace  with  England,  and  English  vessels  were  leaving  and 
entering  almost  every  day,  so  the  naval  authorities  were 
well  informed  of  doings  elsewhere.  Another  difficulty 
also  had  presented  itself  in  that  the  stores  which  had 
been  placed  on  board  the  Charming  Peggy  were  evidently 
munitions  of  war,  and  the  Dutch  Government  had  been 
complained  to  by  the  English  consul,  and  therefore  the 
little  brig  was  under  a  strict  surveillance.  If  she  had  been 
a  faster  sailer  Captain  Conyngham  would  have  taken  ad- 

29 


30  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

vantage,  on  two  or  three  occasions,  of  the  thick  and 
stormy  weather  that  had  prevailed.  Once  he  had  slipped 
his  cable,  but  an  English  armed  sloop  near  him  had 
done  the  same  and  had  followed  him  almost  to  the  open 
water,  where,  seeing  it  was  impossible  to  escape,  Conyng- 
ham  had  turned  and  gone  back  to  his  anchorage. 

So  strong  now  were  the  remonstrances  of  the  English 
representative,  that  the  Dutch  custom  officials  confis- 
cated the  Peggy,  and  she  was  brought  into  court.  To 
save  themselves  a  total  loss,  her  cargo  was  resold  at  a 
great  discount  by  Nesbit  and  Conyngham,  and  the  Peggy 
herself  was  disposed  of  to  a  Dutch  shipping  house. 

And  now  Captain  Conyngham  found  himself  stranded, 
like  many  another  American  shipmaster,  on  the  shores  of 
a  foreign  country.  His  active  spirit  chafed  at  the  en- 
forced idleness,  but  week  after  week  passed,  and  he  saw 
no  chance  of  getting  away.  But  great  things  had  hap- 
pened in  America  since  his  departure,  and  great  things 
were  soon  to  happen  in  Europe. 

The  Declaration  of  Independence  had  been  signed  and 
heralded  to  the  world.  A  small  fleet  had  been  organized, 
and  it  was  rumored  that  vessels  of  war  were  building  in 
the  home  ports  to  go  out  and  fight  the  English  on  the 
high  seas.  Stronger  and  stronger  grew  the  ambition  in 
Conyngham's  heart  to  get  into  active  service.  He  grew 
almost  despondent,  however,  as  the  time  dragged  on. 

It  was  difficult  even  to  obtain  news,  and  the  uncer- 
tainty of  what  was  happening  at  home  made  his  position 
more  galling.  At  last  one  day  the  information  was 
brought  by  post  from  Paris  to  The  Hague  that  two  Amer- 
ican vessels  of  war — the  Reprisal,  commanded  by  a  Cap- 
tain Wickes,  and  a  smaller  vessel,  the  Lexington — had 


IN   HOLLAND   AND   FRANCE  31 


arrived  in  France;  but,  better  news  than  all  that,  Dr.  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  had  reached  the  capital  itself  armed  with 
credentials  from  the  American  Congress  to  act  as  Minis- 
ter   Plenipotentiary    and    Extraordinary    to    the    French 

court. 

For  a  long  time  a  plan  had  been  in  Captain  Con- 
yngham's  mind,  the  feasibility  of  which,  granting  that 
certain  obstacles  were  removed,  tempted  him  strongly. 
There  were  enough  American  sailormen,  of  good  fighting 
stock,  hanging  idly  about  French  and  Dutch  ports  of 
entry,  to  man  a  small  squadron.  Why  was  it  not  possible 
to  fit  out  one  vessel  at  least  and  sail  into  the  highway  of 
British  commerce?  The  risk  would  be  great,  the  rewards 
would  be  tremendous,  and  the  advantages  to  the  Ameri- 
can cause,  if  the  project  was  successful,  past  reckoning. 
All  it  required  was  money  and  a  starting  place.  It  would 
be  necessary,  no  doubt,  from  the  very  first  to  arrange  mat- 
ters with  the  immediate  authorities  in  order  to  have  them 
wink  at  the  proceeding,  and  to  do  this,  back  of  the  whole 
idea,  there  must  lurk  that  important  word,  authority. 

Any  ship's  captain  who  sailed  on  his  own  account  and 
made  prizes  in  the  English  Channel,  would  get  no  mercy 
if  he  once  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  But  even 
without  the  authority  Captain  Conyngham  was  eager  to 
take  the  risk,  if  a  vessel  could  be  procured  and  he  could 
find  others  to  join  him. 

Shortly  after  the  news  reached  him  at  The  Hague  of 
Franklin's  arrival,  he  left  Holland  and  sailed  as  passenger 
in  a  Dutch  coaster  to  Dunkirk,  and  there,  the  very  night 
of  his  arrival,  he  met  with  a  man  who  was  to  have  a  great 
influence  in  his  further  doings. 

Messrs.  Hodge,  Allan,  and  Ross  were  three  Ameri- 


32  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

cans,  part  factors,  part  merchants,  who  were  in  France  at 
the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  war  between  America  and 
the  mother  country. 

In  the  earlier  months  before  the  English  had  begun 
their  very  strict  watching  of  the  foreign  ports,  they  had 
managed  to  send  out  some  small  and  miscellaneous  car- 
goes of  supplies.  Latterly,  however,  they  had  been  un- 
successful, but  with  the  arrival  of  Franklin  and  the  ap- 
pointment as  commissioners  of  Mr.  Arthur  Lee  and  Mr. 
Silas  Deane,  the  latter  a  New  England  merchant  well 
known  to  them,  a  better  prospect  seemed  to  dawn. 

The  Reprisal  had  brought  in  with  her  three  English 
vessels,  all  merchantmen,  the  first  prizes  to  be  brought 
into  the  ports  of  a  foreign  country.  The  English  am- 
bassador, Lord  Stormont,  had  raised  a  dreadful  row  at 
the  French  court  over  this  proceeding,  and  it  was  ru- 
mored that  the  American  vessels  and  their  prizes  would 
be  forced  to  quit  the  French  harbors. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Conyngham  landed  at 
Dunkirk,  having  come  down  by  sea  from  Holland  in  a 
Dutch  packet.  He  had  hardly  set  foot  on  French  shore 
when  he  met  a  Mr.  Thomas  Ross,  whom  he  had  known 
as  a  supercargo  on  one  of  his  earlier  voyages  into  the 
Mediterranean.  It  was  years  since  they  had  seen  one  an- 
other, but  Mr.  Ross  remembered  him  at  once. 

"Well,  indeed,  Conyngham,  this  is  a  surprise!"  he 
cried,  shaking  hands,  after  the  young  captain  had  ac- 
costed him.     "  And  what  are  you  doing  here?  " 

"  Fretting  my  head  off,"  was  the  reply.  "  Sure,  it  is 
a  piece  of  ill  fortune  for  a  man  like  myself  to  be  idle  when 
there  is  so  much  that  he  would  like  to  do.  But  before  we 
talk  of  our  own  private  grievances  or  affairs,  tell  me  of 


IN    HOLLAND   AND   FRANCE  33 

the  news.  What  has  Dr.  Franklin  accomplished,  and 
what  prospects  are  there  that  France  will  do  anything 
for  us?  " 

"  We're  all  in  the  fog,  as  you  sailors  would  say,"  re- 
turned Mr.  Ross.  "  But  there  are  some  prospects.  The 
army  at  home  has  done  as  well  as  can  be  expected,  al- 
though the  British  have  possession  yet  of  many  places, 
including  New  York.  But  come,"  he  added,  "  you  must 
join  me  to-night  at  supper.  We're  expecting  our  friend 
Hodge  down  from  Paris,  and  my  brother  and  Mr.  Allan. 
They  can  tell  you  much  of  importance.  Mr.  Hodge  was 
to  see  Dr.  Franklin,  and  Mr.  Deane  was  to  speak  for  all 
of  us.  There  will  be  work  here  and  plenty  for  good  men, 
if  I'm  not  out  in  my  reckoning.  The  French  as  a  nation 
have  no  love  for  England,  nor  has  the  king,  if  rumor 
speaks  rightly,  and  a  few  big  successes  on  our  part  may 
sway  the  ministry  into  action,  for  mark  me,  my  friend, 
the  common  people  are  seldom  wrong,  and  their  voice  is 
the  heart-beat  of  the  nation." 

"  By  the  Powers,"  rejoined  Conyngham,  "  but  you 
talk  like  a  book.  Is  it  a  speech  you  have  been  prepar- 
ing to  convince  the  king?  " 

Ross  laughed. 

"  I  know  of  one  king  that  was  never  convinced  by 
speeches,"  he  returned,  "  and  that's  the  one  who  sits  there 
across  the  water." 

"  Ah,  there's  one  thing  that  will  convince  him,"  re- 
turned Conyngham  softly  and  dropping,  as  he  often  did, 
into  the  very  richest  of  brogues.  "  Whisht,  my  lad,  and 
that's  cannon-balls  and  straight  shooting." 

"  You're  right,  Friend  Conyngham,"  answered  Ross. 
"  But  there  is  one  thing  more  that  is  necessary — supplies 


34  WITH   THE   FLAG    IN    THE    CHANNEL 

and  ships — and  a  truth  must  be  acknowledged:  Europe 
must  recognize  us  as  a  nation.  Three  or  four  big  victories 
on  our  part  would  turn  the  scale.  But  more  of  this  to- 
night when  we  meet.  You  will  find  me  at  my  lodgings, 
there  in  that  little  gray  house  on  the  corner,  the  one  with 
the  sloping  roof,  at  five  o'clock,  and  we  will  go  to  a  little 
tavern  that  I  know  of  that  is  kept  by  a  Frenchman  we 
can  trust.     Don't  fail  me." 

"  I  will  be  on  hand,"  returned  Conyngham,  and  the 
two  men  parted. 

At  six  o'clock  that  evening,  in  the  little  front  room 
of  the  Chanticlear  Tavern,  there  were  five  men  seated 
about  the  table.  The  conversation,  that  had  first  been 
of  home  affairs  and  the  discussion  of  the  latest  news  from 
the  army — the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton  and 
Washington's  doings — soon  turned  to  matters  nearer  at 
hand.  Mr.  Hodge,  a  strong-featured,  red-faced  man  of 
a  traditional  John  Bull  appearance,  sat  between  the  two 
Ross  brothers.  After  the  waiter  had  left  and  they  were 
all  alone  he  began  to  talk,  and  his  audience  resolved  them- 
selves into  the  most  eager  listeners. 

Conyngham  had  told  his  story  of  the  capture  of  the 
prize  crew,  and  the  recital  had  at  once  placed  him  as  one 
who  was  worthy  of  every  confidence,  and  before  whom 
everything  could  be  said  openly. 

"  You'd  have  laughed,"  went  on  Mr.  Hodge,  continu- 
ing the  story  of  his  trip  to  Paris,  "  to  have  heard  the  good 
doctor  describe  his  arrival  in  Paris.  As  yet  he  has  not 
been  received  openly  at  court,  but  that  w7ill  all  come  in  due 
time.  Nevertheless,  the  number  of  fine  names  and  titles 
and  high  personages  whom  he  has  met  would  make  quite 
a  bill  of  lading.     You  see  Lord  Stormont,  the  English 


IN   HOLLAND   AND   FRANCE  35 

ambassador,  has  his  suspicions.  He  would  be  a  dolt  if  he 
hadn't.  And  the  Count  de  Vergennes,  the  king's  Prime 
Minister,  has  his  also,  but  the  latter's  are  the  harder  to 
guess.  I  don't  exactly  understand  the  Frenchman,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  Hodge.  "  He's  a  bit  too  deep  for  me,  and 
whether  or  not  he  is  blowing  hot  and  cold  to  save  time, 
or  whether  he  is  really  anxious  in  the  end  to  be  of  service 
to  us,  is  more  than  I  can  answer  for.  My  own  idea  of  it  is 
that  he  has  but  one  idea  in  his  head,  and  that  is  France, 
and  that  he  would  see  our  country  swamped  and  ruined  if 
he  could  further  France's  interest  in  the  slightest  degree. 
He  realizes,  no  doubt,  that  in  England's  troubles  and  dif- 
ficulties lie  France's  opportunities,  and  that  the  more  she 
is  weakened  and  distressed,  the  easier  it  will  be  for  France 
when  the  war  comes;  for,  mark  my  words,  the  temper  of 
the  French  people  can  not  long  be  restrained,  and  sooner 
or  later  England  and  this  country  will  be  at  each  other's 
throats.  But,  nevertheless,  gentlemen,  it  is  well  worth 
our  time  to  keep  a  wary  eye  on  M.  le  Comte  de  Ver- 
gennes, and  mind  his  doings  carefully.  But  I  have  di- 
gressed. I  was  speaking  of  Franklin — he  told  me  that 
Lord  Stormont  had  objected  to  his  coming  to  Paris  at 
all,  and  said  that  '  if  this  arch-rebel  reaches  the  city  I  will 
away  home  with  me,  bag  and  baggage.'  '  All  right,'  says 
de  Vergennes,  '  anything  to  please  your  excellency!  We 
will  despatch  a  messenger  to  stop  him.'  And  so  a  mes- 
senger was  sent  to  meet  the  diligence  by  which  '  Good- 
man Richard  '  was  coming  into  Paris,  but  the  messenger 
took  the  wrong  road  and  never  met  the  doctor,  and  the 
first  thing  you  know  Lord  Stormont  hears  that  the  '  arch- 
traitor  '  has  arrived.  '  Heavens,  mercy  me!'  exclaims  de 
Vergennes,   when   his   lordship   calls   upon   him.      '  How 


36  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

could  it  have  happened?  I  will  speak  strongly  to  this  fool 
of  a  messenger.  I  will  admonish  him.'  '  But  what  are 
you  going  to  do  about  it? '  insists  Lord  Stormont. 
*  What  can  we  do?'  returns  Monsieur  le  Comte.  'You 
can  not  expect  us  to  be  uncivil!  Surely  it  is  no  one  but 
an  old  gentleman  who  flies  kites  and  writes  almanacs,  and 
we  Frenchmen  have  a  reputation  for  politeness  to  sustain. 
We  can  not  ask  him  to  leave  without  ceremony.  It  is  not 
our  way.'  So  there  he  is,"  continued  Mr.  Hodge,  "  hob- 
nobbing with  lords  and  ladies  and  what  not,  and  thinking 
great  things  in  that  great  head  of  his;  making  arrange- 
ments with  Beaumarchais,  who  is  our  friend  with  good 
interest  now.  Oh,  such  a  man!  "  Mr.  Hodge  interrupted 
his  long  speech  by  throwing  back  his  head  and  laughing 
heartily. 

"  Beaumarchais?  Beaumarchais?  I've  heard  the 
name,"  interrupted  Conyngham.     "  But  who  is  he?  " 

"  The  most  interesting  and  fantastic  of  creatures,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Hodge.  "  A  man  whose  career  sounds  like  the 
invention  of  the  romancer.  His  real  name  is  Caron,  and 
he  is  but  the  son  of  a  watchmaker,  whose  timepieces  are 
celebrated.  I  believe  that  he  himself  was  brought  up  to 
follow  his  father's  trade,  but  playing  the  harp  attracted 
him  more  than  adjusting  springs  and  balance-wheels,  and 
he  became  an  instructor  and  harpist  at  the  court.  Being 
a  man  of  parts  besides  of  harps,  and  a  natural  born  cour- 
tier, he  soon  made  his  way  and  became  one  of  the  petted 
favorites  despite  his  lowly  birth.  A  consummate  Jack  of 
all  trades.  He  is  the  author  of  plays,  two  of  which  I 
have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing — '  The  Barber  of  Seville ' 
and  '  The  Marriage  of  Figaro.'  The  king  and  the  queen 
trust  him  implicitly,  and  he  has  the  ear  of  most  of  the 


IN   HOLLAND   AND   FRANCE  37 

noblemen,  though  some  of  them  dislike  him  and  fear 
his  sharp  wits." 

"  I  met  him  once,"  interrupted  Mr.  Allan,  "  at  Nantes 
— a  quietly  dressed,  smooth-spoken,  business-like  fellow." 

"  Then  you  don't  know  him  at  court,"  laughed  Mr. 
Hodge,  "  for  there  he  is  an  exquisite,  and  can  flutter  his 
laces  and  make  his  bow  with  the  best  of  them.  He  has 
a  hundred  sides,  and  can  change  color  like  a  chame- 
leon." 

"  He  is  a  good  friend  of  America  and  a  hater  of  Eng- 
land," remarked  the  elder  Ross.  "  If  he  had  his  way, 
Lord  Stormont  would  be  packed  off  to  London,  bag  and 
baggage,  and  there  would  be  no  more  of  this  dissembling. 
He  knows  the  temper  of  the  people,  and  has  his  finger  on 
the  national  pulse." 

"  I  wish  that  he  had  his  fingers  in  the  national  purse," 
laughed  his  brother,  "  for  the  good  doctor  is  not  overbur- 
dened with  money." 

The  entrance  of  the  landlord  here  interrupted  the  con- 
versation, but  as  soon  as  he  disappeared  Mr.  Hodge, 
who  had  been  doing  a  great  deal  of  thinking,  and  had 
paid  little  attention  to  the  steaming  ragout,  followed  him 
to  the  door  and  closed  it  firmly.  Then,  coming  back  to 
the  table,  he  leaned  over  his  chair  and  in  a  low  but  eager 
voice  addressed  the  company. 

"  We're  all  Americans  here,"  he  said,  "  and  Captain 
Conyngham's  recital  of  his  own  mission  and  adventures 
proves  his  discretion,  and  so,  gentlemen — a  secret."  He 
paused  and  his  eyes  swept  around  the  table.  "  The  money 
will  be  forthcoming,  and  if  I  make  no  mistake  there  will 
be  plenty  of  it." 

"  Surely  the  Count  de  Vergennes,  and  Necker  while 


38  WITH    THE    FLAG    IN    THE   CHANNEL 

he  has  charge  of  the  purse-strings,  will  disgorge  little," 
said  Mr.  Allan  dubiously. 

"  The  Prime  Minister  is  a  deep  one,"  replied  Mr. 
Hodge.  "  It  pays  to  keep  both  eyes  on  him.  He  would 
use  America  as  a  cat's-paw,  I  have  no  doubt;  but  never- 
theless he  sees  in  the  success  of  our  cause  the  way  to 
stab  England  deeply.  Beaumarchais,  with  the  help  of 
the  rest,  will  prove  a  match  for  him." 

"  But  you  are  digressing,"  remarked  the  younger 
Ross,  who  had  spoken  little  up  to  this  time.  "  How  are 
we  to  get  the  arms  and  munitions?  " 

"  We  shall  see,"  answered  Hodge,  smiling  wisely. 
"  The  French  Government  doesn't  wish  to  commit  itself 
at  present,  and  as  a  nation  will  offer  us  no  direct  or  open 
aid,  but  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  a  private  company  or 
corporation  from  advancing  money  on  its  own  responsi- 
bility, if  it  assumes  the  risk,  and  there  lies  the  secret,  to 
which  you  gentlemen,  I  know,  will  consider  yourselves 
pledged  from  this  minute.  Have  you  heard  of  Hortalez 
et  Cie.  of  Paris?  It  is  a  new  name,  and  one  as  yet  un- 
known in  commercial  circles,  but  mark  me,  some  day  his- 
tory will  record  it,  and  we  Americans  shall  have  good 
cause  not  to  forget  it." 

"  And  who  composes  this  new  firm?  "  asked  Mr.  Ross. 

"  That,"  replied  Mr.  Hodge,  "  is  more  than  I  can  an- 
swer. But  they  say  that  Beaumarchais  could  tell  all  about 
it,  and  the  shareholders  have  noble  names.  Even  royalty 
has  invested,  and  there  is  plenty  of  money  behind  the  new 
name." 

"  Be  more  outspoken,"  suggested  Mr.  Allan.  "  Who 
is  Hortalez?  " 

"  Hortalez,"  answered  Mr.  Hodge,  "  and  this  under 


IN    HOLLAND   AND   FRANCE  39 

pledge  of  secrecy,  gentlemen,  is  none  other  than  Beau- 
marchais  himself,  and  Beaumarchais  is  the  court." 

For  an  instant  there  was  silence,  and  the  five  men 
looked  at  one  another  without  saying  a  word.  Then  it 
was  Conyngham  who  spoke. 

"  Mr.  Hodge,"  he  said,  "  what  you  have  told  me 
opens  the  way  at  once  to  something  that  I  intended  to 
speak  of  before  this  company  here  at  the  table.  In  every 
port  in  France,  and  even  in  Holland,  there  are  scores  of 
American  seamen  lying  idle  because  of  the  embargo  that 
has  been  placed  upon  our  shipping.  They're  eager,  every 
one  of  them,  to  strike  a  blow  against  the  enemy.  With 
money,  and  brains  to  direct  its  disposal,  the  matter  would 
be  easy.  There  is  the  Channel  filled  with  British  shipping 
before  us.  We  are  here  on  this  side  of  the  water.  I  have 
in  my  mind  a  long-fostered  idea  that  is  easy  of  accom- 
plishment, and  that  would  promise  big  returns  if  suc- 
cessfully set  on  foot." 

"  Your  idea,  Captain  Conyngham,"  answered  Mr. 
Hodge,  "  might  not  be  hard  to  guess,  and  let  me  tell  you 
that  it  has  already  been  spoken  of.  By  the  way,"  he 
added,  "  I  start  to-morrow  morning  for  Paris.  Will  you 
not  accompany  me  thither,  for  I  think  that  Dr.  Franklin 
may  have  something  to  say  to  you." 

Conyngham's  face  flushed  with  excited  pleasure,  as  he 
reached  across  the  table  and  struck  his  palm  into  that  of 
Mr.  Hodge. 

"  I  am  with  you,"  he  cried,  "  mind,  soul,  and  body." 

As  the  party  broke  up  to  go  they  halted  at  the  door. 
The  elder  Ross  placed  his  hand  on  Conyngham's  shoulder. 

"  You  are  the  man  we  have  been  looking  for,"  he  said 
in  a  whisper,  "  the  very  man." 


4o  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

"  Hold,  gentlemen,"  whispered  Mr.  Hodge,  softly, 
"  what  we  have  spoken  of  here  this  evening  we  will  con- 
sider buried  in  the  catacombs  of  our  memory,  and  it  would 
be  better,"  he  suggested,  "  if  we  should  meet  Captain 
Conyngham  elsewhere  to  be  as  strangers  to  him.  Is  it  so 
understood?  " 

The  rest  nodded,  and  they  passed  out  into  the  hall- 
way, at  the  end  of  which  the  smiling  landlord  greeted 
them  and  bowed  them  out  into  the  street. 


CHAPTER  V 

COMMISSIONED 

Dr.  Franklin  entered  the  little  house  from  the  gar- 
den at  the  back,  mopping  his  wide  forehead,  for  the  day 
was  hot.  He  advanced  toward  Mr.  Hodge  with  his  hand 
outstretched  and  greeted  him  warmly  in  his  deep  musical 
voice. 

"  Ah,  friend  Hodge,"  he  said,  "back  so  soon?  And 
you  have  brought  some  one  with  you,  I  see.  From  our 
side  of  the  water?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  returned  Mr.  Hodge;  "  at  least  from  the  right 
side  of  the  water.  Allow  me  to  present  to  you,  sir,  Cap- 
tain Gustavus  Conyngham,  late  commander  of  the 
Charming  Peggy." 

"  Of  Philadelphia,  owned  by  J.  M.  Nesbit  and  Com- 
pany, was  she  not,  and  confiscated  in  Holland?"  inter- 
jected Dr.  Franklin,  looking  at  Conyngham  over  the  tops 
of  his  round  spectacles. 

"  The  same,  sir,"  replied  the  young  captain,  wonder- 
ing at  the  doctor's  knowledge. 

"  I  would  that  she  had  managed  to  get  away  with  her 
cargo,"  continued  Dr.  Franklin,  "  and  I  was  distressed 
and  sorrowed  that  I  could  not  help  you.  But  Holland, 
I  fear,  is  under  the  thumb  of  Great  Britain.  I  could  pray 
again  for  the  days  of  Van  Tromp,  but  I  fear  me  it  is  not 
to  be." 

4  41 


42  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

As  he  spoke  the  doctor  motioned  the  others  to  be 
seated  and  placed  himself  at  one  side  of  a  big  table,  upon 
which  was  a  chess-board  with  the  men  placed  upon  it,  as  if 
they  had  been  left  in  the  midst  of  playing.  As  he  con- 
tinued speaking  he  moved  them  about  from  one  space  to 
another,  as  if  his  thoughts  were  divided  between  the  sub- 
ject of  conversation  and  the  game. 

At  first  he  asked  a  few  questions  about  Philadelphia, 
and  forestalled  Mr.  Hodge's  evident  attempt  to  interrupt. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  doctor  at  last,  "I  have  it — it 
was  the  knight's  move  and  a  very  pretty  problem!  .  .  . 
Now,  Captain  Conyngham,"  he  went  on,  "  you  were  born 
in  Ireland,  but  having  married  a  wife  in  Philadelphia  one 
might  say  that  your  better  half  is  American." 

"  And  seeing  that  the  other  is  American  by  adoption 
also,"  returned  Conyngham,  "  although  I  acknowledge 
my  birthplace  and  my  speech  at  times  betrayeth  me,  I 
can  claim  to  be  whole  American,  and  I  have  as  little  love 
for  England  as  the  best  of  you." 

"  Good,"  returned  Dr.  Franklin,  shoving  the  chessmen 
off  the  board;  "'tis  the  proper  disposition.  And  now, 
Mr.  Hodge,  I  presume  you  have  told  Captain  Conyngham 
of  the  great  difficulties  with  which  we  are  surrounded. 
And  by  the  way,"  he  added  hurriedly,  "  you  can  do  a 
favor  for  me  if  you'll  be  so  kind.  I  was  to  meet  Mr. 
Deane  at  his  lodgings  at  about  this  hour.  Could  you  act 
as  my  emissary?  We  have  need  to  call  on  our  friends  for 
small  services.  Will  you  go  to  him  and  inform  him  that 
I  shall  not  be  able  to  keep  my  appointment,  but  kindly 
ask  him  to  return  with  you  here,  where  you  will  find  Cap- 
tain Conyngham  and  myself  awaiting  you?  " 

Mr.  Hodge,  although  a  little  perplexed  at  the  request, 


COMMISSIONED  43 


acquiesced  immediately,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  Franklin 
and  the  young  captain  were  alone.  The  latter  waited  for 
the  doctor  to  begin,  and  he  did  so  by  asking  a  question. 

"Are  the  English  smaller  vessels  better  built  and 
faster  than  those  made  in  France?  "  he  asked. 

"  By  all  means,"  Conyngham  returned;  "  there  is  none 
that  can  equal  the  work  of  the  British  shipyards,  except 
ourselves,  and  there  I  mean  Americans,"  he  added. 

"And  the  Dutchmen?  " 

"Good  seagoing  craft,  but  clumsy,"  returned  Con- 
yngham. 

"  Do  you  think  it  would  be  possible,  Captain  Conyng- 
ham, to  procure  a  fast-sailing  English  cutter  or  lugger  on 
this  side  of  the  water?  " 

"It  would  be  hard  to  do  so  without  exciting  sus- 
picion." 

"  In  England  you  think  it  would  be  possible  to  pro- 
cure such?  " 

"  Without  the  least  difficulty,  in  Dover,"  Conyngham 
replied.  "That  would  be  my  plan,"  he  added,  "and  if 
once  we  could  get  her,  say  to  such  a  port  as  Dunkirk,  I 
would  find  the  men  easily  to  man  her." 

Dr.  Franklin  arose  and  began  slowly  pacing  to  and 
fro. 

"What  do  you  think  would  be  the  best  plan  to  set 
about  the  purchase  of  such  a  craft?"  he  asked  at  last. 
"  Do  you  think  that  you  could  accomplish  it  yourself?  " 

"  It  would  be  better  for  some  one  else  to  try,"  Conyng- 
ham replied,  "  for  I  am  known  to  many  in  the  English 
ports.  In  fact,  I  might  say  without  boasting  that  I  am  a 
good  pilot  in  both  channels.  If  she  were  secured  by  a  man 
who  might  pass  himself  off  easily  as  an  English  merchant 


44  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

it  could  be  done  without  attracting  suspicion,  and  she 
might  be  brought  over  with  a  French  crew  to  Dun- 
kirk." 

After  more  talk,  in  which  Captain  Conyngham  de- 
tailed his  plans  as  to  armament  and  outfitting,  he  came 
to  the  subject  which  hitherto  neither  had  touched  upon. 

"  Of  course,  Dr.  Franklin,"  he  said,  "  no  one  realizes 
more  than  I  do  the  danger  of  such  an  enterprise,  and  mark 
you,  sir,  it  does  not  appal  me,  yet  I  might  state  that  if 
I  were  captured,  not  only  I,  but  the  men  with  me,  should 
meet  with  short  shrift  at  the  hands  of  the  British.  We 
should  have  few  opportunities,  after  such  an  event,  to 
serve  our  country  again." 

Franklin  paused  and  smiled.  "  We  shall  attend  to 
that,"  he  said,  turning  to  a  large  cabinet  and  unlocking 
one  of  the  ponderous  doors.  "  And  now  I  shall  have  to 
call  upon  your  discretion.  There  are  a  great  many  things 
nowadays  that  we  have  to  keep  secret  even  from  our 
friends,  but  I  have  here  the  very  instrument  that  we  need 
in  our  business." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  forth  from  a  large  portfolio  a 
printed  form  and  laid  it  on  the  table. 

"  This,"  he  said,  turning  it  so  that  Conyngham  could 
read  it,  "  is  a  commission  in  the  navy  of  the  United  Colo- 
nies. Thinking  that  just  this  sort  of  a  contingency  might 
arise,  I  armed  myself  with  a  few  of  these  papers  sent  me 
in  America.  You  see  it  is  signed  by  John  Hancock,  as 
President  of  Congress,  and  is  attested  by  William  Thomp- 
son, at  Baltimore,  where  Congress  was  in  session.  It  is 
dated  the  ist  of  March  of  this  year.  I  have  but  to  fill  in 
your  name  and  the  name  of  your  vessel,  and  you  are  a 
full-fledged  captain  in  the  navy  of  the  United  Colonies 


COMMISSIONED  45 


from  the  moment.  Your  name  I  know,  but  the  craft  as 
yet  is  unchristened.     What  shall  we  call  her?  " 

Conyngham  paused  a  moment. 

"  You  have  surprised  me,  sir,"  he  said,  "  and  my  wits 
for  a  moment  were  wool-gathering,  but  the  name  would 
be  an  easy  matter." 

"  And  you  have  suggested  it,  Captain  Conyngham," 
returned  Franklin,  chuckling.  "  We  will  call  her  the  Sur- 
prise." 

Quickly,  as  he  spoke,  he  filled  in  the  blank  spaces  and 
handed  the  paper  across  the  table. 

"  Captain  Conyngham,"  he  said,  "  I  greet  you.  You 
will  receive  such  orders  as  may  come  through  our  agents, 
but  one  thing  I  admonish  you — be  cautious.  You  are  not 
to  venture  to  attack  a  seventy-four  nor  even  a  sloop  of 
war.  There  are  plenty  of  small  fry  about  worth  the  sav- 
ing. Now,"  he  went  on,  "  another  thing  of  great  impor- 
tance. Except  in  case  of  dire  necessity  show  this  com- 
mission to  no  one,  not  even  to  Mr.  Hodge  or  our  most 
intimate  friends.  It  is  a  secret  for  the  nonce  between 
you  and  myself.  You  will  readily  understand  the  reason 
that  I  ask  it.  It  would  not  only  embarrass  me  just  at 
present,  but  might  embarrass  the  French  Government; 
and  they're  a  little  bashful  just  now,  so  we  must  consider 
their  feelings.  Ah,  here  come  Mr.  Hodge  and  Mr. 
Deane,"  he  added,  looking  out  of  the  window.  "  Come, 
we  will  go  out  into  the  garden  and  sit  under  the  trees, 
where  we  can  discuss  the  weather,  the  fashions,  and  the 
ladies,  in  the  open  air." 

After  the  introductions  had  been  gone  through,  and 
Captain  Conyngham  had  been  presented  to  Mr.  Silas 
Deane,  a  short,  thick-set,  easy-going-looking  man  of  com- 


46  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE  CHANNEL 

mercial  aspect,  not  a  word  was  said  about  plans  or  plot, 
and  Franklin  wandered  from  anecdote  to  anecdote,  head- 
ing off  any  attempt  to  touch  upon  the  subject  that  was 
uppermost  in  all  their  minds.  But  just  as  they  were  leav- 
ing he  spoke  a  few  words  which  disclosed  the  situation. 

"  Captain  Conyngham,"  he  said,  "  has  undertaken  to 
execute  a  commission  of  great  importance  and  danger, 
and  so,  while  it  may  come  under  discussion  at  some  length 
in  the  future,  he  will  need  now  nothing  but  our  good 
wishes,  and  we  will  drink  his  health." 

The  toast  was  drunk  and  the  gentlemen  arose  to  take 
their  departure. 

"  The  captain  will  accompany  you  to  Dunkirk  on  your 
return,  Mr.  Hodge,"  said  Dr.  Franklin,  as  he  bade  fare- 
well, "  and  Mr.  Deane  will  instruct  you  as  to  your  further 
procedure." 

Conyngham  never  forgot  the  parting  pressure  of  the 
doctor's  hand. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  SURPRISE 

There  lay  moored  in  the  basin  in  the  harbor  of  Dover 
two  fast-sailing  luggers  that,  despite  the  fact  that  they 
had  been  in  the  water  but  two  years,  had  already  earned 
great  reputations  for  speed  and  seaworthiness,  and  to  their 
merchant  owners  they  had  proved  sources  of  pride  and 
profit. 

Mr.  Robert  Boltwood  and  his  brother  had  been  ap- 
proached upon  more  than  one  occasion  by  persons  desir- 
ous of  purchasing  either  one  of  their  two  crack  coasters. 
They  were  not  surprised,  therefore,  when  they  received  an 
offer  made  through  a  shipping  firm,  whose  principal  part- 
ners were  Dutchmen,  for  one  of  the  vessels  named  the 
Roebuck,  but  they  were  surprised  when  their  terms  were 
accepted,  for  they  had  placed  what  they  considered  almost 
a  prohibitive  price  upon  the  Roebuck,  which  if  anything 
was  the  faster  of  the  two. 

It  was  natural,  perhaps,  for  them  to  wish  to  know  for 
what  purpose  the  Roebuck  had  been  bought.  All  they 
could  ascertain,  however,  was  that  a  gentleman  named 
Allan,  claiming  to  come  from  London,  and  one  Mr.  Van 
der  Beck,  a  Hollander,  had  bought  her  in  partnership, 
and  that  she  was  to  sail  out  of  Dunkirk  in  the  Channel 
trade. 

47 


48  WITH    THE    FLAG    IN    THE    CHANNEL 

Now  it  happened  that  in  Dunkirk  there  were  several 
indefatigable  spies  of  the  British  Government,  and  in 
some  way  it  had  leaked  out  that  a  privateering  expedition 
was  on  foot.  There  were  so  many  idle  American  seamen 
in  the  port  that  it  would  have  been  a  wonder  if  some  such 
rumor  had  not  been  floated,  and  the  story  that  started 
really  need  have  had  no  connection  with  Conyngham's 
cherished  project.  Suffice  it,  however,  that  this  came  to 
the  ears  of  Messrs.  Boltwood's  representative,  who  accord- 
ingly informed  his  firm,  and  this  news  reached  them  but  a 
short  time  after  they  had  completed  the  sale  of  the  Roe- 
buck. The  terms  of  the  sale  had  not  included  the  delivery 
of  the  vessel  across  the  Channel,  but  Mr.  Allan  and  the 
fictitious  Mr.  Van  der  Beck  had  mistakenly  supposed  that 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  securing  a  crew,  or  at  least 
enough  men  to  sail  her  to  her  port  of  destination.  To 
their  surprise,  however,  they  found  that  this  was  not  the 
case.  Sailors  were  hard  to  find,  and  it  soon  became  evi- 
dent, also,  that  the  old  owners,  repenting  of  their  bargain, 
were  working  against  them.  This  and  the  fact  that  their 
suspicions  had  also  been  aroused,  made  the  secret  com- 
missioners wary  of  appearing  to  be  in  a  great  hurry.  So 
while  the  Roebuck  remained  at  anchor  they  informed 
their  friends  in  Dunkirk  of  the  situation,  and  Conyngham 
resolved  upon  a  bold  plan.  It  was  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  to  sail  with  some  eight  or  ten  men  in  a  large  open 
yawl  and  bring  out  the  Roebuck  at  night  from  her  anchor- 
age. It  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Van  der  Beck  (whom  every- 
body will  recognize  as  the  elder  Ross),  who  had  lived  in 
Holland  and  spoke  the  language  like  a  born  Dutchman, 
and  Allen,  should  move  themselves  and  their  belong- 
ings on  board  the  Roebuck,  whose  crew  consisted  of  two 


THE   SURPRISE  49 


French  sailors,  almost  so  decrepit  from  age  as  to  be  no 
longer  on  the  active  list.  On  a  given  night  this  short- 
handed  crew  were  to  slip  their  anchor  and  make  out  to- 
ward the  harbor  mouth  where  Conyngham  and  his  crew 
of  eight  men  would  be  taken  on  board,  when  they  would 
sail  at  once  for  Dunkirk. 

Those  were  the  days  when  smuggling  between  the 
Continent  and  England  was  considered  almost  a  legitimate 
venture,  and  despite  the  watchfulness  of  the  English 
coast-guard  vessels,  from  many  small  ports  and  coves 
smuggler  pilots  ran  their  contraband  cargoes  in  and  out. 
It  was  not  difficult  for  Conyngham  to  secure  the  services 
of  a  French  smuggler  pilot,  and  in  fact  some  of  the  men 
of  the  crew,  Americans  though  they  were,  had  been  em- 
ployed, at  times,  in  the  same  risky  business. 

A  big  open  yawl  was  procured  without  difficulty,  and 
on  a  misty  night  she  slipped  out  of  Dunkirk  harbor  head- 
ing with  a  favoring  easterly  wind  for  the  English  coast. 
For  a  short  time  this  held  true  and  steady,  but  fortune 
after  a  few  hours  turned  against  them.  Before  daybreak 
the  wind  had  increased  to  half  a  gale,  and  in  the  choppy 
sea  the  yawl  had  a  bad  time  of  it.  It  was  only  by  good 
seamanship  and  constant  bailing  that  she  was  kept  afloat. 
The  afternoon  of  the  next  day  they  found  themselves 
about  three  leagues  from  the  English  coast,  and  the  wind 
abating  they  laid  their  course  for  the  white  cliffs  of  Dover. 

All  apparently  was  going  well,  and  they  had  passed 
several  vessels  without  exciting  suspicion,  for  the  small- 
ness  of  their  craft  was  a  great  point  in  their  favor,  and 
she  might  have  been  taken  for  a  coaster  or  fisherman 
hailing  from  any  of  the  small  villages  that  sent  out  their 
little  fleets  during  the  trawling  season. 


50  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  while  they  were  creeping  south- 
ward along  the  coast,  a  king's  cutter  suddenly  appeared 
around  a  little  headland  not  two  miles  away.  The  French 
pilot  who  was  at  the  helm  was  undoubtedly  responsible 
for  what  followed,  for  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  cutter 
must  have  caused  him  to  lose  his  head.  Without  a  word 
of  warning  he  threw  the  yawl  up  into  the  wind  and  headed 
her  off  shore,  plainly  in  an  endeavor  to  give  the  cutter  a 
wider  berth.  The  suspicious  action  had  been  seen  by 
the  Englishman,  who  at  once  altered  his  own  course  and 
turned  off  in  pursuit. 

Captain  Conyngham  at  the  time  that  the  coast-guard 
was  sighted  had  been  resting  asleep  under  a  tarpaulin  be- 
tween the  thwarts.  The  exclamations  of  the  men  on  see- 
ing the  cutter's  tactics  aroused  him,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
looked  to  leeward  he  saw  that  it  was  only  a  matter  of  time 
when  the  cutter  would  overhaul  his  little  craft. 

They  were  still  so  close  into  shore  that  they  could  see 
the  white  surf  leaping  and  boiling  against  the  rocks  and 
at  the  base  of  the  cliff.  At  one  point  he  could  make  out  a 
little  break  in  the  steep  side,  with  some  foliage  near  the 
top,  and  down  at  the  bottom  a  short  stretch  of  sandy 
beach. 

A  rocky  ledge  formed  a  barrier  to  the  entrance  of  the 
little  cove,  and  over  it  the  water  jumped  and  tossed  an- 
grily. Here  and  there,  farther  inshore,  leaped  sudden 
spurts  of  foam  as  the  waves  thundered  on  the  sharp 
points  of  the  hidden  rocks.  Yet  one  thing  he  noticed 
clearly  even  at  the  distance  he  was  from  shore — the  water 
ran  smoothly  and  evenly  up  to  the  narrow  stretch  of 
white  beach,  showing  that  within  a  few  feet  of  shore  it 
deepened  again.     His  mind  was  made  up  in  an  instant. 


THE   SURPRISE  51 


The  cutter  was  outpointing  the  yawl,  and  though  at 
first  to  leeward  was  working  up  to  the  windward  position. 
Conyngham  gave  a  few  quick  orders  as  he  grasped  the 
tiller.  The  yawl  swung  about,  and  with  loosened  sheets 
caught  the  wind  abaft  the  beam  and  tore  away  shore- 
ward. The  cutter  came  about  also,  taking  a  longer 
time  at  it,  and,  flying  down  just  outside  the  edge  of  the 
breakers,  made  a  bold  attempt  to  head  the  yawl  and  turn 
her  back  before  she  could  cross  her  bows. 

It  came  to  be  a  question  of  minutes,  and  there  was  an 
added  danger  now,  for  the  cutter  opened  up  with  a  small 
bow  gun,  firing  as  quickly  as  she  could  load  and  aim. 
But,  owing  to  the  small  size  of  the  target  and  the  uneven 
rise  and  fall  of  the  chop,  her  marksmanship  was  bad,  and 
though  the  balls  whistled  overhead  and  plashed  all  round, 
not  one  struck  the  intended  mark. 

The  Frenchman,  who  was  now  in  a  state  of  terror,  be- 
gan to  call  upon  the  saints.  To  Conyngham's  inquiry 
whether  he  knew  of  a  safe  entrance  to  the  little  cove  at 
which  they  were  heading  he  vouchsafed  no  reply.  But 
as  they  drew  near  the  line  of  breakers  his  wails  increased. 

"We  shall  all  be  drowned!"  he  cried  over  and  over. 
"  Better  a  prison  than  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

But  Conyngham,  with  one  eye  ahead  and  the  other 
on  the  approaching  cutter,  held  his  course.  In  another 
moment  he  had  crossed  the  Englishman's  bows,  and  as  the 
latter  fired  a  parting  shot  the  yawl  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
smother  of  tumbling  waters. 

How  she  got  through  it  without  being  wrecked  was 
more  than  any  one  of  the  crew  could  ever  tell.  Time  and 
again  they  held  their  breath,  expecting  to  be  crushed 
upon  the  black  points  that  now  and  then  showed  them- 


52  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE    CHANNEL 

selves  on  either  hand.  But  with  the  skill  of  an  Indian 
guiding  his  canoe  down  the  rapids,  Conyngham  steered 
the  little  boat,  and  in  half  an  hour  she  had  safely  passed 
the  barrier  reef  and  the  worst  part  of  the  sailing,  and 
soon  was  in  the  comparatively  smooth  water  near  the 
little  beach. 

Now  there  could  be  noticed  a  few  roughly  built  huts 
of  stone  before  which  there  were  some  nets  drying  on 
the  ground,  and  some  frightened  fishermen  came  down 
to  the  water's  edge.  One  of  them  hailed  in  half  French 
and  half  English,  to  which  Conyngham  replied. 

The  man  informed  them  that  they  had  better  not  land, 
as  they  had  been  seen  by  the  Government  lookout  on  the 
top  of  the  cliff,  and  that  in  all  probability  the  guards 
would  soon  be  down  and  they  would  all  be  made  prisoners. 

Evidently,  like  the  cutter,  the  fellow  had  taken  them 
for  smugglers,  but  he  gave  the  information  that  farther 
down  the  coast  there  was  a  small  cove  inaccessible  and  in- 
visible from  above,  where  they  might  be  able  to  get 
ashore. 

Shortening  sail,  Conyngham  headed  the  yawl  south- 
ward. Out  to  sea  the  cutter  was  holding  the  same 
course,  watching  like  a  cat  at  a  rat-hole.  It  looked  as 
if  escape  was  impossible,  for  a  long  promontory  ran  out 
to  south  not  four  leagues  away,  and  with  a  shifted  wind 
it  would  be  only  by  miracle  that  they  could  keep  from 
going  ashore. 

But  the  darkness,  that  Conyngham  was  waiting  for, 
came  at  last,  ushered  in  by  a  blinding  fall  of  rain,  and  in 
it  he  once  more  managed  to  make  an  offing  and  by  good 
luck  and  good  seamanship  weathered  the  point,  and  with 
the  cutter  somewhere  back  in  the  darkness,  he  made  out 


THE    SURPRISE  53 


once  more  into  the  open  channel.  At  daybreak  he  was 
off  Dover  and  could  see  the  flag  flying  on  the  walls  of 
the  castle,  and  a  mass  of  shipping  about  the  entrance.  He 
made  boldly  in  and  dropped  his  little  anchor  amid  a  fleet 
of  small  craft.  The  harbor  at  this  time  was  not  one  of  the 
best  in  the  world,  for  the  shingle  bar  would  keep  shifting, 
and  the  breakwaters,  except  the  old  basin  piers,  were  not 
then  built.  But  lying  well  out  Captain  Conyngham  de- 
tected a  vessel  that,  from  the  description  he  had  received 
from  Mr.  Allan,  he  was  sure  could  be  none  other  than  the 
Roebuck. 

His  sailing  in  so  boldly  had  not  attracted  the  least 
notice,  and  as  he  had  bidden  most  of  the  crew  to  keep 
themselves  out  of  sight  under  the  tarpaulins,  the  num- 
ber of  men  he  had  with  him  had  not  attracted  attention 
either. 

Just  at  dusk  he  got  up  his  anchor  and  came  farther 
up  into  the  harbor.  As  he  passed  by  the  Roebuck  his 
heart  was  beating  with  excitement,  for  she  looked  to  be 
the  very  vessel  for  his  purpose.  He  was  within  hailing 
distance  when  a  figure  came  on  deck.  He  could  scarce 
refrain  from  shouting  from  sheer  joy,  for  he  recognized 
the  stocky  figure  of  his  friend  Allan.  Another  minute 
and  he  had  called  his  name. 

Working  the  yawl  alongside  he  soon  stepped  on  deck. 
It  was  considered  too  risky  to  transfer  the  men  while  there 
was  yet  light  enough  for  them  to  be  perceived,  and,  un- 
comfortable as  it  may  have  been  for  them,  they  remained 
in  their  cramped  position  in  the  smaller  boat  until  almost 
midnight.  In  the  early  morning  hours  the  Roebuck 
slipped  her  cable  and  slid  out  like  a  ghost  through  the 
channel  fog.    The  yawl  was  being  towed  behind,  but  as  it 


54  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

impeded  the  lugger's  sailing  the  small  boat  was  stove  in, 
laden  with  some  of  the  spare  ballast  from  the  Roebuck, 
and  sunk. 

Without  adventure  or  molestation  they  reached  Dun- 
kirk under  the  British  flag.  As  they  dropped  anchor  well 
up  the  harbor,  Mr.  Allan  turned  to  the  young  captain 
with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  said,  "  this  part  of  the  proceeding  is 
over  and  we  are  ready  to  go  on  with  the  rest  of  it.  By 
the  way,  shall  we  keep  the  name?  "  He  pointed  to  the 
stern  of  the  jolly-boat  where  the  word  Roebuck  stood 
out  in  red  letters. 

"  No,"  returned  Conyngham,  "  that  will  all  be 
changed.    She  has  been  renamed  what  we  hope  she'll  be." 

"And  that  is?"  queried  Mr.  Allan. 

"  The  Surprise,"  was  Conyngham's  answer. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   CHANNEL   CRUISE 

The  people  of  Dunkirk  must  have  been  very  stupid 
indeed  if  they  could  not  have  perceived  that  there  was 
something  mysterious  about  the  strange  little  vessel  that 
lay  moored  to  one  of  the  wharves.  Although  there  was 
some  attempt  at  carrying  out  the  disguise  of  her  being 
a  peaceful  trader,  there  were  many  circumstances  aris- 
ing that  would  mark  her  otherwise.  But,  to  tell  the  truth, 
the  people  of  Dunkirk  were  not  only  suspicious.  In  their 
minds  they  were  quite  settled  as  to  the  aims  and  ambi- 
tions of  the  jaunty  little  lugger,  and  sailors  ashore  are 
wont  sometimes  to  let  their  tongues  get  away  with  their 
discretion. 

The  English  spies  and  agents  of  course  were  well  in- 
formed, and  letters  were  written  even  to  the  papers  in 
London  describing  the  doings  at  Dunkirk,  and  the  prepa- 
rations that  were  being  made  to  outfit  a  "  piratical  expe- 
dition," as  it  was  called,  against  the  king's  commerce  in 
his  own  home  water. 

Objection  was  continually  made  by  the  English  repre- 
sentatives against  the  outfitting  of  a  belligerent  vessel  in 
a  friendly  port,  but  nothing  was  done  by  the  French  au- 
thorities, and  very  soon  the  Surprise — or  the  Roebuck,  as 
she  was  then  called — was  ready  for  sea  with  the  exception 

55 


56  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

of  her  armament,  her  given  destination  being  Norway  and 
Sweden. 

Conyngham  and  his  crew  had  kept  away  during  the 
lading  of  the  vessel,  and  most  of  the  work  had  been  done 
by  Frenchmen,  in  order  to  prevent  the  whole  thing  from 
being  too  glaringly  open.  But  one  evening,  just  about 
dusk,  Conyngham  strolled  down  the  edge  of  the  wharf  and 
stood  watching  some  long  boxes  that  were  being  slung  on 
board  and  lowered  over  the  side.  A  very  short  red-haired 
man  came  up  to  him  and  spoke  to  him  in  French. 

"  Good  evening,  monsieur,"  he  said.  "  A  pretty  little 
vessel  this,  eh?  " 

Conyngham  turned  at  once  and  looked  the  speaker 
over.  He  knew  him  to  be  an  Englishman  who  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  Government  spy.  The  man's  audacity  in 
daring  to  approach  him  at  that  moment  was  rather  start- 
ling, but  Conyngham's  reply  must  have  been  more  so. 

"  She  is  good  to  look  at,"  he  returned  in  French,  "  and 
they  tell  me  she  is  sailing  to-morrow  night.  But  let  us 
go  down  to  her,"  he  said,  taking  the  smaller  man's  arm, 
"  and  ask  some  questions  of  those  on  board.  We  may 
learn  something." 

Half  reluctantly,  the  Englishman  accompanied  him. 
In  a  few  steps  they  were  at  the  gangway.  The  tackle  that 
had  just  deposited  its  load  on  deck  swung  outboard  from 
the  yardarm  that  was  being  used  as  a  crane,  and  passed 
close  to  where  Conyngham  and  the  spy  were  standing. 
With  a  swiftness  that  was  surprising,  Conyngham  caught 
the  rope  in  one  hand  and  gave  it  a  twist  about  the  body  of 
his  companion  beneath  the  arms. 

"  Hoist  away,"  he  shouted,  holding  the  struggling 
Englishman.    And  before  he  knew  it  the  latter  was  swing- 


THE   CHANNEL   CRUISE  57 

ing  in  the  air,  afraid  to  struggle  for  fear  of  being  dropped, 
but  shouting  and  cursing  in  hearty  John  Bull  fashion. 

Conyngham  rushed  up  the  gangway  and  met  a  tall, 
dark-featured  man,  who  saluted  him  as  he  stepped  on 
board.  Just  then  the  Englishman's  feet  touched  the  deck 
also. 

"  Here,  Monsieur  Villois,  have  this  man  brought  to  the 
cabin,"  said  Conyngham,  and  the  half-frightened  spy  was 
ushered  in  by  two  grinning  French  sailors. 

"  Now,  sir,"  said  Conyngham,  "  you  shall  learn  all 
about  it.  Sit  down."  He  motioned  the  spy  to  a  seat  and 
then,  looking  at  him  fixedly,  continued: 

"  For  the  last  three  weeks  you  have  dogged  my  foot- 
steps; you  have  tried  to  overhear  everything  that  I  have 
spoken,  and  you  have  eavesdropped  at  windows  and  doors 
when  I  was  in  company  with  other  gentlemen.  You 
have  a  companion  here  who  claims  to  be  a  very  learned 
person,  and  always  goes  about  with  a  book  under  his  arm, 
wearing  big  spectacles.  Last  evening  you  met  on  a 
bench  at  the  end  of  the  park  that  leads  to  the  street  of  the 
windmill,  and  you  said — "  Here  to  the  Englishman's 
horror  and  surprise  Conyngham  detailed  a  long  conversa- 
tion that  had  taken  place — word  for  word  he  had  it.  At 
last  he  was  interrupted. 

"  But  you  could  not  have  heard  this;  there  was  no  one 
nigh  us,"  said  the  Englishman,  and  then  he  added  quick- 
ly, "  I  see  it  all.  That  villain  has  betrayed  me.  What  do 
you  intend  to  do  with  me?  " 

"  I   intend,"   said   Conyngham   quietly,    "  to   tell   you 

all  you  want  to  know,  and  to  set  you  on  shore  at  the 

proper  moment.     The  first  and  most  interesting  point, 

I  suppose,"  he  continued,  "  would  be,  What  is  the  destina- 

5 


58  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

tion  of  this  vessel  and  when  does  she  sail?  That  is  easy. 
She  sails  to-night — in  fact,  in  about  two  hours.  Her  des- 
tination is  nowhere  in  particular.  At  present  she  is  the 
property  of  a  French  firm  of  merchants,  and  is  a  peace- 
able, unarmed  lugger.  In  about  six  hours,  if  the  wind 
holds  fair,  she  will  be  purchased  by  the  United  Colonies  of 
America.  She  will  be  signed  and  receipted  for  outside  of 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  French  Government.  Her  name 
also  will  be  changed,  as  well  as  her  character." 

"  You  will  be  pirates?  "  gasped  the  spy. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  was  Conyngham's  return.  "  If 
that  question  should  ever  arise,  it  could  be  settled  with 
little  trouble.  Now,"  he  concluded,  "  you  know  as  much 
as  you  would  like  to,  I  am  sure." 

"  And  are  you  going  to  set  me  on  shore?  "  asked  the 
Englishman  incredulously. 

"  Not  yet,  my  friend,"  was  Conyngham's  reply.  "  I 
still  have  use  for  you." 

Just  at  this  moment  the  cabin  door  opened  and  the 
tall  man  who  had  stood  at  the  gangway  entered.  The 
darkness  of  his  complexion  and  the  straightness  of  his 
black  hair  betrayed  the  fact  that  he  was  of  Spanish  or 
some  southern  extraction.  But  the  English  that  he  spoke 
was  pure  and  without  accent,  as  it  had  been  proved,  also, 
was  his  French. 

"  Well,  captain,"  he  said,  "  the  last  box  has  been  put 
on  board.  The  rest  that  are  standing  about  are  all  empty. 
We  are  ready  to  get  under  way." 

"  Has  the  other  vessel  sailed?  "  asked  Conyngham, 
adding,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand,  "  you  can  speak  frankly 
before  this  gentleman." 

"  She  has,  sir;  she  slipped  out  four  hours  ago,  and  will 


THE   CHANNEL   CRUISE  59 

join  us  three  leagues  off  the  coast  to-morrow  at  day- 
light." 

"  Are  all  the  crew  on  board  of  her?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  the  armament.  I  am  afraid  we  shall 
have  some  difficulty  with  the  six-pounder." 

"  Never  cross  a  bridge  till  you  come  to  it,  Mr.  Free- 
man," returned  Conyngham,  "  and  now  one  more  ques- 
tion.   Is  the  agent  of  Mr.  Hortalez  on  board?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  he  is  waiting  on  deck." 

"  Tell  him  I  will  join  him  in  half  a  minute.  If  you 
should  ask  my  advice  as  a  mere  passenger  who  has  had 
some  experience,  I  should  say  that  we  might  slip  our 
moorings  quietly  and  get  under  way;  the  tide,  I  should 
judge,  would  carry  us  well  down  the  harbor.  But  I  mere- 
ly advise  it,  you  understand,  as  you  are  the  captain  of  the 
ship.  And  by  the  way,  Mr.  Bulger,"  he  added,  turning 
to  the  spy,  "  you  will  kindly  wait  here  for  my  return; 
there  is  a  gentleman  at  the  door  who  will  object  to  your 
leaving,  so  if  you  will  allow  me  to  suggest,  it  will  be  bet- 
ter for  you  to  remain  here  quietly." 

He  arose  as  he  spoke  and  left  the  cabin.  "  Mr.  Bul- 
ger "  remained  seated,  with  consternation  written  on  every 
line  of  his  face.  In  a  few  minutes,  though  there  had  been 
no  sound  from  the  deck,  he  could  tell  from  the  swaying  of 
the  vessel  that  they  were  under  way.  For  fully  half  an 
hour  the  Roebuck  drifted  quietly  with  the  tide,  and  then 
the  mainsail  was  hoisted  and  she  keeled  over  to  the 
damp  easterly  breeze  that  carried  her  out  beyond  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor.  For  some  time  she  sailed,  holding 
a  course  to  the  northwestward,  then  she  hove  to  and  as 
day  broke  she  was  seen  to  be  about  three  leagues  off  the 
French  coast;  and  not  two  miles  away,  hove  to  also,  was 


60  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

a  clumsy  little  brig  with  her  brown  sails  laid  back  against 
the  mast.  A  red  flag  suddenly  appeared,  waving  over  the 
brig's  side.  This  was  answered  by  the  wave  of  a  white  one 
over  the  Roebuck's  taffrail,  and  then  one  on  the  port  tack 
and  the  other  on  the  starboard;  swiftly  the  two  vessels 
approached  until  within  hailing  distance.  The  decks  of 
the  little  brig  were  crowded  with  sailormen,  and  amid- 
ships were  long  boxes,  carefully  wrapped  and  ready  for 
slinging,  and  a  few  long  bales  wound  in  sail-cloth.  By 
careful  maneuvering  they  were  brought  together  broad- 
side to  broadside,  well  fendered  and  lashed.  No  sooner 
had  this  been  accomplished  under  the  direction  of  the 
dark  man,  at  whose  side  stood  Conyngham,  than  the  lat- 
ter turned,  and  speaking  to  a  slightly  built  but  richly 
dressed  young  Frenchman,  who  was  evidently  a  little 
upset  by  the  motion  of  the  sea,  he  requested  him  to  step 
into  the  cabin,  where  he  was  introduced  to  the  imprisoned 
Englishman  as  Mr.  Beauchier,  the  representative  of  the 
owners  of  the  Roebuck. 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Bulger,"  remarked  Conyngham,  after 
the  introduction,  "  comes  the  favor  that  I  am  going  to 
ask  of  you.  I  shall  request  you  to  witness  the  sale  and 
transfer  of  this  vessel  from  its  present  ownership  to  that 
of  the  United  Colonies  of  America.  The  price  has  been 
arranged  between  Mr.  Beauchier  and  myself,  and  only  our 
signatures  are  needed  to  the  document,  with  that  of  a 
witness  to  the  same.  This  is  the  bill  of  sale  and  transfer 
of  the  lugger  Roebuck,  as  you  can  see.  Mr.  Beauchier 
will  sign  here,  I  here,  and  you  will  witness  and  put  your 
name  on  this  line.', 

Half  trembling,  the  Englishman  scrawled  his  signa- 
ture beside  those  of  the  others. 


THE   CHANNEL   CRUISE  61 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Beauchier,"  went  on  Conyngham, 
u  is  it  true  that  I  understand  that  you  own  also  the  vessel 
which  is  alongside  of  us?  " 

"  Yes,  and  her  contents,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Have  you  got  any  ballast  for  sale — old  iron  or  such 
like?  " 

"  We  have,  sir,  and  also  some  passengers  who  are 
anxious  to  leave  the  ship,  because  they  are  afraid  of  the 
leak  which  the  captain  reports  she  has  sprung." 

"Poor  people!  Poor  people!"  repeated  Conyngham. 
"  I  will  take  them  on  board  for  nothing." 

The  transfer  of  the  long  heavy  bundles  proved  an  easy 
task,  as  the  "  passengers  "  were  all  of  the  male  sex  and  in- 
sisted upon  turning  to  and  helping.  In  two  hours  it  was 
all  accomplished;  the  lashings  were  cut  off  and  the  two 
vessels  drifted  apart. 

It  had  been  agreed  that  the  little  Englishman  should 
be  put  ashore  at  some  obscure  French  port,  the  brig  being 
bound  now  for  L'Orient.  But  as  Mr.  Bulger  stood 
watching  the  lugger  square  away  to  the  north  he  ground 
his  teeth  in  impotent  despair. 

"Pirates,  just  the  same,"  he  muttered.  "Pirates, 
every  one  of  them." 

At  that  moment  there  broke  from  the  masthead  of  the 
lugger,  not  the  Jolly  Roger,  but  a  big  flag  with  thirteen 
alternate  stripes  of  red  and  white.  Across  it  diagonally 
stretched  the  writhing  coils  of  a  rattlesnake,  and  on  the 
fourth  white  bar  appeared  the  printed  words,  "  Don't 
tread  on  me." 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE    HARWICH    PACKET 

The  next  day  proved  clear  and  fine,  and  also  the  fol- 
lowing day,  but  no  sail  of  importance,  so  far  as  small 
craft  were  concerned,  was  discovered.  Such  vessels  as 
were  passed  that  flew  the  English  ensign  were  too  big 
to  be  reckoned  with  or  too  near  armed  escort;  but  on 
the  morning  of  the  4th  of  the  month,  off  the  coast  of 
Holland,  a  little  single-sticker,  a  cutter,  was  discovered 
bowling  merrily  along  from  the  westward,  and  from  what 
the  Surprise's  French  pilot  said  it  was  plain  that  she  was 
the  very  one  for  which  Captain  Conyngham  was  watching 
— the  Harwich  packet,  that  bore  the  mails  for  the  north 
of  Europe,  usually  carrying,  besides  crown  moneys,  a 
small  but  rich  cargo. 

The  rules  of  the  road  at  sea  have  been  from  time  im- 
memorial practically  the  same  for  sailing  ships,  and  a  ves- 
sel close  hauled  has  the  right  of  way  of  one  going  free 
on 'the  wind.  When  the  packet  was  first  sighted  she  was 
running  with  the  wind  almost  astern  and  making  good 
time,  as  she  tossed  the  white  foam  before  her.  Now, 
the  Surprise  was  close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack,  and 
it  would  have  required  but  a  little  careful  sailing  to  bring 
her  across  the  packet's  bows.  The  latter  had  flown  a 
62 


THE   HARWICH   PACKET  63 

large  English  ensign,  but  Conyngham  had  shown  no  flag 
at  all,  although  the  big  red  and  white  striped  ensign  with 
the  rattlesnake  across  the  field  lay  on  the  deck  ready 
to  be  hoisted  to  the  peak. 

Nearer  and  nearer  the  two  vessels  came.  The  helms- 
man on  the  packet  was  evidently  perplexed  as  to  the  inten- 
tions of  the  approaching  lugger,  for  he  had  swung  his 
vessel  off  in  order  to  give  the  latter  room  to  cross  his 
forefoot.  But  every  time  he  did  so  the  Surprise  would 
luff  a  little,  for  it  was  Conyngham's  intention  to  get 
close  under  the  packet's  stern  and  board  her  if  possible 
without  firing  a  shot. 

The  trick  worked  like  magic.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
Englishman  was  so  close  that  the  features  of  the  helms- 
man could  be  seen  distinctly.  He  was  not  in  the  least 
suspicious,  for  he  gazed  in  silence  at  the  approaching 
lugger,  contemptuously  smiling  at  her  apparently  clumsy 
sailing. 

A  man  who  had  been  walking  up  and  down  the  deck 
came  to  the  rail  as  if  he  supposed  that  the  Surprise  was 
about  to  hail  him,  and  making  ready  to  answer. 

Conyngham  had  kept  his  men  below  well  out  of  sight, 
though  they  were  all  armed  with  pistols  and  cutlasses 
ready  to  rush  on  deck  at  a  given  signal.  Just  before  he 
came  under  the  Englishman's  stern,  he  let  go  his  sheets 
and  swinging  off  suddenly,  his  bowsprit  swept  over  the 
stranger's  taffrail,  beneath  which  appeared  the  words 
"  Prince  of  Orange  "  in  big  red  letters.  The  cutter,  whose 
sails,  now  deprived  of  the  wind,  flapped  uselessly,  lost 
headway.  Another  second,  and  the  Surprise  struck  so 
gently  that  it  hardly  started  the  paint  on  her  cutwater, 
a  grapple  was  thrown  on  board,  and  from  the  forward 


64  WITH    THE    FLAG    IN    THE    CHANNEL 

hatch  a  score  of  men  poured  over  the  bows  upon  the 
other's  deck. 

Captain  Baxter,  the  English  skipper,  was  in  the  cabin 
at  breakfast  with  five  passengers,  four  of  them  merchants 
and  one  a  young  secretary  bearing  dispatches  to  the 
Dutch  Government,  when  the  mate  shouted  through  the 
transom  that  a  strange  vessel  had  run  afoul  of  them,  and 
that  they  were  being  boarded  by  pirates! 

"  Great  heavens!  "  exclaimed  one  of  the  merchants  in 
consternation.  "  Pirates  in  the  English  Channel!  Bless 
my  soul,  never!  " 

Before  Captain  Baxter  could  gain  the  foot  of  the  com- 
panion-ladder a  figure  stepped  into  the  cabin. 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  are  you  doing  aboard  my 
vessel?  "  roared  the  captain,  reaching  for  a  cutlass  that 
hung  from  one  of  the  berths  that  lined  the  sides. 

"  Hold!  not  so  fast,  my  friend,"  was  the  quiet  an- 
swer. "  Sure,  it's  much  better  to  take  no  unnecessary 
trouble.  And  my  advice  to  you  is  to  be  as  quiet  as  a 
mouse." 

As  he  spoke,  Conyngham  shifted  his  hand  to  the  butt 
of  a  pistol  that  protruded  from  under  his  long  blue  coat. 

Though  his  words  were  lightly  spoken,  the  English- 
man saw  a  dangerous  gleam  in  the  captain's  dark  eyes, 
and  stood  still,  muttering. 

"  Are  you  a  pirate?"  he  demanded,  hoarsely,  at  last. 

"  Far  from  that,"  answered  Conyngham,  smiling  and 
advancing  farther  into  the  little  space.  "  If  the  gentlemen 
will  seat  themselves,  I  shall  be  glad  to  inform  you  of  the 
circumstances.  You  are  prisoners  of  the  American  cruiser 
Surprise,  that  I  have  the  honor  to  command.  But  you 
need  fear  nothing,  I  assure  you." 


A  score  of  men   poured  over  the  bows. 


THE    HARWICH    PACKET  65 

"  What  is  your  name  and  under  whose  authority  are 
you  acting?  "  demanded  the  young  under-secretary,  who 
had  now  found  his  tongue. 

"  My  name  is  Conyngham,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  I 
am  acting  under  authority  of  the  president  of  the  Amer- 
ican Congress." 

"  You  will  hang  for  it,"  interposed  one  of  the  mer- 
chants. "  I  shall  complain  to  the  Government — such  an 
outrage,  and  in  the  English  Channel,  too!" 

Conyngham  smiled. 

"  You  can  write  a  letter  to  the  Times  if  you  see  fit, 
my  good  sir,"  he  replied,  "  but  at  present  there  is  no  use 
of  being  bad-natured.  Don't  allow  me  to  disturb  you  in 
your  meal,  as  I  see  you've  just  begun." 

At  this  moment  a  slight  scuffle  and  some  loud  words 
came  from  the  deck  above.  The  captain  again  started 
to  his  feet. 

"  They're  securing  the  crew,"  Conyngham  said  in  ex- 
planation. "  There  is  no  use  in  making  a  fuss  over  the 
matter;  we're  in  complete  possession.     Be  easy  now." 

Just  as  he  spoke  the  lank  figure  of  the  Yankee  second 
mate  appeared  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  He  saluted 
Conyngham,  and  grinned  at  the  others  as  if  enjoying  their 
discomfiture. 

"  I  have  to  report,  sir,  that  all's  well,  and  await  your 
orders.  There  is  one  man  we  had  to  put  into  irons;  the 
rest  submitted  quietly." 

"  You  see  how  matters  stand,  gentlemen,"  Conyng- 
ham went  on,  "  and  before  we  cast  off  our  lashings  I 
shall  have  to  ask  you  to  accompany  me  to  my  vessel." 

"  A  most  high-handed  proceeding,"  muttered  the 
English  merchant. 


66  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 


But  his  protestations  were  interrupted  by  the  young 
secretary  at  this  point. 

"  It's  always  best,"  said  he,  "  to  accept  a  bad  position 
gracefully,  and  I  am  sure  if  this  gentleman,"  he  waved 
his  hand  toward  Conyngham,  "  will  allow  us  to  remain 
on  board  here  we  shall  much  appreciate  the  favor.  As  for 
myself,"  he  added,  "  I  will  promise  not  to  endeavor  to 
escape.  I  am  a  bad  swimmer  at  the  best,  and  if  our  gal- 
lant friend,  who,  I  perceive,  at  some  time  or  other  has 
been  a  subject  of  his  Majesty,  will  permit  it,  we  should 
like  to  remain." 

"  You  certainly  can  do  so,  sir,"  was  the  quiet  reply, 
"  and  need  not  fear  that  I  will  disturb  you;  but  as  you 
seem  to  have  lost  your  appetites,  I  shall  first  ask  that 
you  all  come  on  deck."  With  a  polite  bow  he  ushered 
the  party  to  the  companionway. 

Perhaps  he  had  divined  the  young  Englishman's  pur- 
pose. At  all  events,  the  suspicion  had  crossed  his  mind 
that  the  latter  only  wished  to  obtain  time  to  secrete  or 
destroy  some  of  the  papers  in  the  dispatch-box  that 
showed  beneath  a  locker  on  one  side  of  the  cabin.  With 
some  show  of  discontent,  the  party  followed  his  sugges- 
tions, however,  and  went  up  on  deck.  Once  there  they 
could  not  conceal  their  surprise  at  the  state  of  affairs. 
There  was  the  strange  vessel,  that  was  but  slightly  larger 
than  their  own,  still  made  fast  to  them,  and  rippling  al- 
most overhead  was  the  big  rattlesnake  flag.  Perhaps, 
despite  Conyngham's  assurance,  they  had  expected  to  see 
the  Jolly  Roger  with  the  skull  and  cross-bones,  and  they 
were  to  all  appearances  relieved. 

The  English  crew  were  all  under  hatches  forward,  and 
no  one  was  in  sight  but  five  or  six  of  the  Surprise's  crew, 


THE   HARWICH    PACKET  67 


who,  to  tell  the  truth,  were  piratical  enough  in  appear- 
ance to  belie  even  the  striped  flag. 

Leaving  a  guard  over  his  guests,  Conyngham  went  be- 
low with  the  first  mate  and  began  a  search  of  the  cabin. 
When  he  came  on  deck  again  he  plainly  perceived  the 
importance  of  his  prize.     But  a  complication  had  arisen 
that  made  him  form  his  plans  quickly.     It  would  never 
do  to  delay  the  mails  or  interfere  with  the  diplomatic 
correspondence  intended  for  a  friendly  power,  and  there 
were  letters  for  Prussia  and  Holland,  besides  those  ad- 
dressed to  the  British  ambassador  at  Paris.     The  private 
property  of  the  merchants  was  unmolested,  but  a  report 
showed  that  the  contents  of  the  hold  was  of  no  little 
value,  and   under  the  usages   of  war  it   would  be   fair 
booty.      So    Conyngham    ordered    that    Captain    Baxter 
should  accompany  him  on  board  the  Surprise,  and  with 
ill  grace  the  latter  did  so.     After  giving  orders  to  the 
first  mate,  whom  he  left  in  command  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  Conyngham  ordered  the  two  vessels  to  be  cast 
loose  from  each  other,  and  the  course  was  laid  south- 
east by  east  for  Dunkirk  once  again.     He  realized  that 
there  would  be  a  great  row  made  upon  his  landing,  but 
in  view  of  the  connivance  of  the  French  Government  at 
the  sale  of  the  prizes  brought  in  by  Captain  Wickes,  that 
were  allowed  to  be  disposed  of  just  outside  the  harbor 
limits  of  Nantes,  he  thought  that  with  the  aid  of  Frank- 
lin's growing  importance  at  the  French  court  the  Govern- 
ment would  be  more  than  lenient  with  him.    He  supposed 
at  least  they  would  allow  him  an  opportunity  to  dispose 
of  the  vessel  and  its  contents  for  what  the  commissioners 
in  Paris  most  needed,  namely,  gold;  and,  thinking  that 
he  would  place  himself  in  a  good  position  to  ask  any 


68  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

favors  by  his  conduct  in  connection  with  the  foreign  mails, 
he  held  no  anxiety  concerning  himself  or  his  crew.  Be- 
sides all  this,  he  knew  that  in  the  commission  that  he  held 
from  Franklin  he  possessed  a  talisman  that  would  save 
him  from  personal  danger. 

It  had  been  his  hope  that  he  might  fall  in  with  one  of 
the  transports  then  engaged  in  carrying  Hessian  troops 
to  America,  and  in  the  latter  case  he  had  decided  upon 
two  alternatives:  one  to  make  a  prize  of  their  vessel, 
even  at  the  risk  of  recapture,  and  endeavor  to  get  her 
into  some  American  port,  or  to  land  them  disarmed  on 
the  coast  of  France  or  Holland.  But  even  the  prospect 
of  making  another  rich  haul  did  not  tempt  him  to  remain 
longer  on  the  cruising  grounds.  So,  under  all  the  sail  he 
could  carry,  he  laid  his  course  for  Dunkirk,  the  Prince  of 
Orange  staggering  along  in  his  wake. 

That  night  it  came  on  to  blow,  and  in  the  darkness 
the  two  vessels  were  separated,  so  that  at  daylight  of  the 
next  day  nothing  could  be  seen  of  the  prize.  The  Channel 
was  a  gray,  seething  mass  of  flattened  foam-tops. 

At  about  noon  a  little  brig  was  discovered  laboring 
along  making  to  the  westward.  The  Surprise  altered  her 
course,  and  early  in  the  afternoon  had  ranged  alongside. 

The  wind  was  too  high  and  the  cross  seas  too  boister- 
ous to  admit  of  lowering  a  boat,  and  the  hails  that  were 
shouted  through  the  speaking-trumpet  could  not  be 
heard,  so  a  shot  was  fired  across  the  brig's  bow  in  order 
to  make  her  show  her  flag.  It  was  English!  As  soon 
as  this  was  ascertained  to  be  a  fact,  Captain  Conyngham 
sailed  boldly  in  under  her  lee,  and  once  more  the  rattle- 
snake and  the  red  and  white  stripes  were  tossed  to  the 
wind. 


THE   HARWICH   PACKET  69 

Another  hail,  accompanied  by  a  second  shot  across 
the  brig's  bows,  and  she  hove  to,  lurching  and  plunging. 
By  working  his  vessel  in  still  closer,  even  at  the  danger 
of  colliding,  Conyngham  at  last  made  himself  understood, 
and  on  the  threat  of  blowing  the  brig  out  of  the  water 
her  captain  obeyed  the  order  to  put  her  about  and  lay 
the  course  he  was  instructed  to.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  told  to  hang  a  lantern  over  the  stern  and  keep  it  lit 
all  night.  Then,  like  a  constable  following  an  unwilling 
prisoner,  the  Surprise  trailed  along,  shortening  sail  in 
order  to  keep  her  position,  and  the  brig,  yawing  and 
swinging  uncomfortably  as  if  loath  to  be  on  the  move, 
preceded  her.  Before  dark  the  wind  had  gone  down  and 
the  sea  abated  enough  for  Conyngham  to  lower  a  boat 
and  board  his  prize.  She  proved  to  be  the  Joseph,  the 
property  of  English  merchants,  laden  with  silks  and  wine 
and  bound  for  London.  Placing  a  prize  crew  on  board 
of  her,  this  time  the  Surprise  took  the  lead,  and  sailing 
noticeably  better,  the  brig  followed  her.  When  day  broke 
they  were  but  a  few  leagues  off  the  coast  to  the  north- 
ward of  Dunkirk,  and  to  Conyngham's  delight  he  per- 
ceived a  small  vessel  just  to  the  south  of  him,  and  through 
the  glass  he  could  make  her  out  to  be  the  captured 
packet! 

So  good  fortune  had  attended  his  first  cruise,  and  with 
a  hopeful  and  cheerful  heart  he  sailed  into  the  harbor. 
With  his  prizes  close  on  either  hand,  he  dropped  anchor 
near  to  shore.  Little  did  he  know  what  a  storm  was  to 
arise  or  what  was  to  happen  during  the  next  few  days. 
Perhaps  if  he  had  known,  he  would  not  have  thought  so 
much  about  the  European  mails. 


CHAPTER    IX 

THE    ARREST 

There  was  a  large  crowd  lining  the  shores  as  the 
little  boat  rowed  up,  and  as  Captain  Conyngham,  on 
whom  all  eyes  were  centered,  climbed  up  the  ladder  to 
the  wharf  a  large  man  bent  over  and  extended  a  helping 
hand.  There  was  a  greeting  in  the  grasp  also,  and  a 
ring  of  welcome  in  his  voice. 

"  Back  so  soon,  eh?"  exclaimed  the  elder  Ross,  for 
it  was  he.  "  We  hardly  expected  you  for  a  week  or  more 
to  come.  And  you  have  got  her!  The  news  is  about 
the  town;  don't  stop  to  parley  here.  My  brother  and 
Hodge  and  Allan  are  waiting.  There  is  much  to  do. 
What  have  you  there?  " 

The  boatmen  were  handing  up  three  large  canvas 
bags.  The  chattering  crowd  looked  at  them  and  pointed 
excitedly. 

"  The  mails  for  Europe,"  returned  Conyngham  softly. 
"  Let  us  get  together  and  consider  what  is  best  to  do. 
Bad  cess  to  them,  I  wish  they  were  off  my  hands!" 

As  he  spoke  he  started  suddenly. 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  Ross  in  a  low  tone. 

"That  blackguard  English  spy!"  returned  Conyng- 
ham.    "  Didn't  you  see  him?     There  he  goes  on  a  run 
up  the  street." 
70 


THE   ARREST  71 


By  this  time  three  sailors  had  also  climbed  to  the 
wharf  and  picked  up  the  canvas  bags.  The  crowd  made 
way  as  the  little  party  started  forward,  Ross  and  the 
young  captain  leading.  The  people,  on  the  whole,  were 
in  smiling  good  nature.  There  was  even  a  trace  of  ex- 
ultation in  their  expression,  a  few  clapped  their  hands, 
there  were  some  murmured  "  Bravos."  Had  they  been 
English  or  American  they  might  have  fallen  to  cheering. 

"  Heaven  grant  we  have  not  been  rash,"  muttered 
Ross,  "  but  there  will  be  a  tempest  as  soon  as  the  news 
reaches  Paris." 

"  What  will  there  be  when  it  reaches  London?  "  re- 
turned Conyngham  laughing.  "  Perhaps  this  time  our 
friend  Lord  Stormont  will  demand  his  recall  or  Parlia^ 
ment  will  send  for  him.  Egad!  then  the  fat  will  be  in 
the  fire!" 

Although  they  had  passed  close  to  the  spot  where 
Ross  and  Allan  and  Hodge  were  standing,  no  sign  of 
recognition  passed  between  them.  The  crowd  had  the 
politeness  not  to  follow,  and  soon  Conyngham  and  Ross 
turned  down  the  corner  toward  the  little  inn  at  which 
the  first  meeting  had  been  held;  the  sailors  carrying  the 
canvas  bags  were  close  at  their  heels,  and,  the  landlord 
of  the  tavern  appearing  at  the  doorway,  the  party  entered. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  rest  of  the  plotters  appeared,  having 
come  in  by  another  entrance,  and  the  sailors  returned  to 
the  ship's  boat. 

As  soon  as  they  were  all  seated  about  the  table  in  the 
little  front  room  and  had  ascertained  that  there  was  no 
chance  of  their  conversation  being  overheard,  Conyng- 
ham related  his  experience. 

The  company  laughed  heartily  as  he  told  of  the  Eng- 


72  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

lish  captain's  discomfiture,  but  Hodge  a  moment  later 
looked  very  grave.  So  much  so,  in  fact,  that  Allan,  no- 
ticing it,  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 

"  What  is  it,  friend  William?  You  look  suddenly 
stricken  with  grief  or  disappointment." 

"  I  am  just  thinking,"  was  the  return,  "  that  a  great 
deal  will  have  to  be  done  before  the  sun  goes  down  this 
day.  One  of  us  will  have  to  post  at  once  to  Paris.  We 
must  not  delay  turning  over  the  mails  to  the  proper  au- 
thorities, and — another  thing — we  must  get  this  news  to 
the  ears  of  the  Count  de  Vergennes  before  it  is  brought 
to  him  by  Lord  Stormont.  I  like  not  altogether  de  Ver- 
gennes's  attitude.  He  would  see  us  all  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea  rather  than  sacrifice  a  chosen  project  of  his 
o\vn,  and,  as  I  have  said  many  a  time,  back  of  all  his 
half-expressed  desires  to  lend  us  assistance  is  but  the  hope 
of  aiding  France's  interest." 

"  Well,  if  any  one  is  to  go,"  returned  the  elder  Ross, 
"  it  should  be  you,  Mr.  Hodge,  unless  you  consider  it 
necessary  that  the  captain  here  should  go  up  in  person." 

Conyngham  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  afraid  that  would 
be  impossible,"  he  put  in.  "  It  would  never  do  at  all, 
at  all.  I  will  have  to  stand  by  my  ship  for  a  few  days 
at  least,  until  we  dispose  of  the  prizes  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  enable  me  to  pay  off  my  crew.  Is  there  much  money 
in  the  treasury,  Mr.  Ross?  "  he  asked. 

The  latter  laughed.  "  I  don't  suppose  that  we  have 
fifty  pounds  among  us  at  present,"  he  said.  "  The  treas- 
ury has  been  on  the  ebb  for  the  past  fortnight,  but  M. 
Grand,  our  banker  in  Paris,  is  hopeful." 

"  There  is  a  good  four  thousand  pounds  of  ready 
money  in  the  prizes,"  said  Conyngham,  "  and  much  that 


THE   ARREST  73 


could  be  disposed  of  on  the  nail,  could  we  but  put  it  imme- 
diately in  the  market.  But  it  is  my  belief  what  must  be 
done  must  be  done  quickly.  Mr.  Hodge  should  start  with 
the  mails  for  Paris — no  one  will  recognize  what  those 
canvas  bags  contain,  and  we  should  scent  out  some  pur- 
chaser and  sail  out  of  the  harbor  this  very  afternoon  and 
hold  a  little  auction  off  the  coast." 

"  How  about  the  prisoners?  "  interrupted  Mr.  Hodge. 
"  What  are  we  to  do  with  them?  " 

"  I,  for  one,  will  say  '  good  riddance,'  "  returned  Con- 
yngham,  "  when  once  they  are  on  shore.  We  could  never 
keep  them  while  we  are  here  in  port,  and  I  propose  giving 
them  a  run  this  very  day." 

Upon  this  point  all  of  the  party  were  agreed,  and  also 
upon  the  necessity  of  Hodge's  immediate  departure  for 
the  capital.  The  latter,  accompanied  by  Allan,  left  the 
room  in  order  to  see  the  proprietor  of  the  tavern,  to  which 
establishment  was  attached  a  stable  containing  a  number 
of  excellent  horses  and  equipages  suited  for  the  highroad. 
They  had  been  gone  but  a  few  minutes  when  suddenly 
Allan  returned,  evidently  in  a  state  of  some  pertur- 
bation. 

"  Something  has  happened,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  that 
requires  our  immediate  attention,  gentlemen.  A  moment 
since  I  left  Mr.  Hodge.  I  was  standing  at  the  entrance  to 
the  stable-yard,  from  which  a  good  view  could  be  had 
of  the  harbor  down  the  street.  Suddenly  there  appeared 
a  vessel  sailing  into  the  field  of  vision,  and  from  her 
looks  I  knew  her  to  be  an  English  sloop  of  war.  She  was 
taking  in  sail  and  preparing  to  drop  anchor  in  the  outer 
harbor,  when  suddenly  a  small  boat  rowed  out  to  her; 
an  instant  later  she  broke  out  her  sails  again,  and  is  now 
6 


74  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

coming  in  close  to  where  the  Surprise  and  the  other  two 
are  anchored.     I  don't  like  the  looks  of  things." 

"  We  can  obtain  a  good  view  of  what  is  happening 
from  one  of  the  windows  of  an  upper  room,"  said  Con- 
yngham. 

"  Let  us  adjourn  there,"  suggested  the  elder  Ross.  "  I 
know  the  way — come,  follow  me." 

Without  more  ado  he  led  the  rest  of  the  party  into 
the  hall,  and  they  hurriedly  ascended  to  the  second  floor. 
Entering  one  of  the  rooms,  they  rushed  to  the  window. 

As  the  inn  stood  upon  rising  ground,  they  had  a  free 
and  uninterrupted  view  of  the  harbor  over  the  roofs  of  the 
houses.  Sure  enough,  there  was  the  British  sloop  of  war 
working  her  way  in  close  to  shore,  where  Conyngham's 
little  squadron  lay.  A  single  glance  and  the  captain  spoke 
quickly. 

"  I  must  get  on  board  at  once,"  he  said.  "  That  fel- 
low's intentions  are  evident.  Here,  I  have  a  small  pocket 
glass.  There  is  something  doing  on  board  the  Sur- 
prise." 

As  he  spoke  he  pulled  a  small  spy-glass  from  his  pocket 
and  hastily  adjusting  it  lifted  it  to  his  eye. 

"  The  Surprise  is  getting  under  way,"  he  said.  "  That 
Yankee  first  mate  of  mine  has  his  wits  about  him,  but, 
gentlemen,  this  is  no  place  for  me;  I  must  get  on  board,  if 
possible." 

With  that  he  left  the  others,  and  soon  they  could  see 
him  on  the  street  running  at  a  dog-trot  down  toward  the 
wharves.  Just  at  this  moment  also  there  was  the  rattle 
of  wheels  and  the  clatter  of  hoofs,  and  out  of  the  gateway 
of  the  stable-yard  rolled  a  post-chaise,  on  the  high  seat 
of  which  sat   Mr.   Hodge.     He  had  gone  back  to   the 


THE   ARREST  75 


dining-room,  but  not  finding  his  companions  had  decided 
to  delay  no  longer,  but  to  push  on  at  once. 

The  commissioners  in  Paris  must  be  informed  of  what 
had  happened,  and  steps  must  be  taken  to  prepare  the 
way,  for  the  English  ambassador  was  sure  to  raise  trouble. 

Conyngham  had  made  good  time  of  it  and  reached 
the  water's  edge  before  the  English  sloop  of  war  was  half- 
way across  the  harbor.  The  watchers  at  the  window  saw 
him  disappear  around  a  corner;  a  minute  later  a  row- 
boat  shot  out  from  the  wharf,  and  through  the  glass  that 
the  captain  had  left  behind,  Mr.  Ross  descried  the  rowers 
bending  all  their  strength  at  the  oars  in  an  endeavor  to 
reach  the  lugger  before  the  Englishman  could  get  much 
nearer.  The  wind  was  against  the  latter,  and  he  had  been 
forced  to  tack,  but  Mr.  Ross  could  see  that  they  were 
preparing  to  lower  away  a  boat  and  that  the  bulwarks 
were  lined  with  men. 

"  There!  "  he  cried  suddenly,  "  Conyngham  is  standing 
up  in  the  stern  sheets  encouraging  the  rowers.  By  all 
the  powers,  he'll  make  it!  Row!  row!"  he  cried,  as  if 
his  voice  could  be  heard  by  the  men  at  the  oars. 

The  big  foresail  of  the  Surprise  had  been  dropped,  and 
she  was  slowly  swinging  around  as  if  in  an  endeavor  to 
make  her  way  out  through  the  crowd  of  anchored  vessels 
near  her  to  the  open  waters  that  lay  beyond.  This  could 
be  discerned  without  the  aid  of  the  glass,  and  Allan  per- 
ceiving it  struck  his  fist  into  the  palm  of  his  other 
hand. 

"  The  fool!"  he  cried.  "What  is  he  doing  that  for? 
It  is  the  very  thing  the  Englishman  would  like  best — 
to  get  him  in  the  open.  His  chances  were  much  better 
if  he  stayed  nearer  shore." 


76  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

Ross,  whose  hand  was  trembling  so  that  he  could 
hardly  hold  the  glass,  now  spoke  up  again. 

"  There!  "  he  cried.  "  Look!  Conyngham  has  joined 
his  vessel.  See,  she  swings  back  again  and  turns  in  toward 
shore.  She'll  run  that  little  vessel  down.  Heavens!  that 
was  close;  she  just  touched."  He  whirled  and  looked  at 
the  others.  "  Gentlemen,  there's  sailing  for  you,"  he  said. 
"  Did  you  see  that?  He  steered  in  between  those  two 
small  ones,  and  I  know  what  his  intentions  are.  He's 
going  to  try  to  run  the  lugger  into  the  basin  next  the 
long  wharf." 

"  He  never  can  get  through,"  interposed  his  brother; 
"  there  isn't  room  enough." 

"  He  may,"  was  the  elder  Ross's  answer,  "  and  at  all 
events  he's  going  to  try  it — and  see,  the  packet  follows 
him!" 

A  silence  followed  as  they  all  watched  the  Surprise 
slipping  along  so  close  to  the  shore  that  her  hull  was 
now  entirely  hid  from  sight  and  nothing  but  her  big  sail 
could  be  seen  gliding  past  the  vessels  moored  to  the 
landing-places.  Then  all  at  once  the  big  sail  was  clewed 
up,  and  under  the  impetus  that  she  had  gathered  the 
Surprise  forged  slowly  ahead.  Into  the  basin  she  slipped 
without  a  wharf  line  being  sent  to  shore,  and  grinding 
along  the  string-piece  her  speed  slowly  slackened  and  then 
stopped.  Ropes  were  immediately  passed  out  and  she 
was  made  fast,  and  at  this  moment,  as  if  foiled  in  her 
design  to  lay  her  alongside,  the  British  sloop  dropped 
her  anchor.  The  Prince  of  Orange  came  into  the  basin 
in  the  Surprise's  wake. 

"Neatly  done,  by  Jove!"  exclaimed  Allan.  "He 
handled  her  as  if  she  were  naught  but  a  shallop.     Gentle- 


THE   ARREST  77 


men,  let  us  separate,  and  meet  at  the  long  wharf  as  soon 
as  we  can  get  there." 

At  once  they  descended  the  stairs  and  went  out  into 
the  street,  where,  in  order  to  attract  the  least  suspicion 
and  to  carry  out  the  plan  that  they  always  adopted  of 
being  strangers  to  one  another,  they  went  different  ways, 
but  all  heading  at  last  in  the  direction  of  the  shore. 

A  surging  mob  was  gathered  on  the  long  wharf  and 
on  the  decks  of  the  vessels  moored  near  it.  At  one 
place  there  was  a  group  of  a  half  score  or  more  men 
talking  excitedly  in  English  among  themselves.  The 
Frenchmen  surrounding  them  were  listening  with  evident 
amusement,  although  they  could  not  understand  what  was 
being  said.  The  men  who  formed  the  group  were  the 
prisoners  whom  Conyngham  had  released  as  soon  as  his 
vessel  touched  the  wharf;  in  fact,  he  had  driven  them 
overboard  ashore  almost  at  the  point  of  the  pistol. 

Hastily  his  crew  were  carrying  out  some  bales  and 
boxes  from  the  forward  hold  of  the  prize,  and  the  captain 
standing  upon  the  bulwarks  directing  them. 

The  crowd  was  watching  all  this  as  if  it  were  part  of 
a  play  arranged  for  their  special  benefit. 

Mr.  Ross  elbowed  his  way  quietly  through  the  crowd 
and  soon  was  close  to  the  vessel's  side.  Conyngham 
looked  down  and  saw  him. 

"  The  jig  is  up,"  he  said,  speaking  so  that  Ross  could 
hear  him.  "  They're  going  to  hand  us  over.  I  thought 
as  much  from  the  looks  of  things.  They  expected  me 
to  come  back  here — it  was  all  prepared,  but  I  was  a  little 
ahead  of  time." 

"  Well,  what  are  you  up  to  now?  "  asked  Mr.  Ross. 
"  Why  all  this  unloading?  " 


78  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

"  Merely  for  the  establishment  of  international  good 
feeling,"  Conyngham  returned.  "  You'll  see  in  a  min- 
ute." 

From  his  post  of  vantage  in  the  bulwarks  of  the  vessel 
he  turned,  and,  faking  off  his  hat,  addressed  the  crowd 
that  up  to  this  minute,  as  we  have  said,  had  been  nothing 
but  amused  spectators. 

"  Citizens  of  Dunkirk,  people  of  France,"  he  said, 
"  help  yourselves.  Here  are  bales  of  fine  English  cloth 
and  English  cutlery.  Sure,  they're  things  ornamental  and 
things  beautiful.  Help  yourselves;  they're  yours  for  the 
taking,  and  the  gift  of  the  United  Colonies  of  America  and 
Gustavus  Conyngham,  captain  in  the  navy." 

It  was  enough.  With  something  that  sounded  like 
a  cheer  mixed  with  laughter,  the  crowd  rushed  upon  the 
bales  and  boxes.  Many  climbed  unhindered  over  the 
vessel's  sides  and  dived  down  the  hatchway.  Conyngham 
leaped  to  the  wharf. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  let  the  Englishmen  try  to  land  and 
take  us.  The  authorities  were  going  to  let  them  board 
us  while  we  lay  at  anchor  unprotected.  I  know  that,  for 
it  was  a  French  officer  who  went  out  to  the  English 
sloop.  Who  can  believe  a  Frenchman  anyhow?  I  have 
told  my  crew  to  scatter,  and  each  man  for  himself.  This 
is  a  pretty  ending  to  our  project,  by  the  piper!  isn't  it?  " 
he  added  bitterly. 

Ross  did  not  reply,  for  just  then  he  caught  a  glimpse 
of  something  up  the  wharf  that  had  called  his  attention. 
There  was  a  gleam  of  steel  and  a  flash  of  blue  and  red, 
and  straight  toward  them  came  marching  a  company  of 
French  soldiers.  At  the  head  walked  an  officer  holding 
a  paper  in  his  hand,  and  by  his  side  was  the  very  Eng- 


THE   ARREST  79 


lish  spy  that  Conyngham  had  seen  run  up  the  wharf.  He 
perceived  all  in  a  glance.  Turning  to  Ross,  the  young 
captain  spoke  quickly. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  slipping  a  long  sealed  packet  into 
his  friend's  hand.  "  This  is  of  the  utmost  importance. 
See  that  it  reaches  Dr.  Franklin's  hands  in  Paris  at  once; 
it  must  not  be  lost,  for  it  may  save  my  life.  De  Vergennes 
has  forsaken  us." 

"  Come,"  replied  Ross,  hiding  the  paper  in  his  pocket. 
"  Endeavor  to  hide — you  may  escape  in  the  crowd." 

"  And  be  hunted  like  a  rat  with  a  ferret  or  taken  like 
a  criminal.  Never  that  in  the  world.  Appear  not  to 
know  me." 

With  that  Conyngham  stepped  forward  into  the  open 
space  that  the  crowd  had  formed  in  giving  way  for  the 
soldiers'  coming.  Stepping  boldly  out  to  meet  the  com- 
pany, the  captain  drew  a  short  sword  from  under  his  long 
blue  coat,  and  advancing  toward  the  officer  he  extended 
him  the  hilt  across  the  hollow  of  his  left  arm. 

The  officer  was  so  surprised  that  he  halted,  as  if  not 
knowing  what  to  do,  then  in  some  hesitation  he  took  the 
proffered  weapon.  At  the  same  time  Conyngham  spoke 
in  a  loud  voice: 

"  Captain  Conyngham  of  the  American  navy  gives 
himself  and  his  sword  into  the  keeping  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  France." 

Then  he  glanced  about  to  the  English  spy,  but  the 
latter  had  disappeared. 

Leaving  a  guard  of  soldiers  about  the  vessel,  the  offi- 
cer and  part  of  his  company  walked  back  up  the  wharf. 
Before  he  had  gone  many  steps  he  returned  the  short 
sword   to   Conyngham,   who   took   it   with   a   smile   and 


8o  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

walked  off  by  the  officer's  side,   chatting  pleasantly  in 
French  with  a  strong  touch  of  Irish  brogue. 

At  the  same  corner  where  he  had  passed  them  but  a 
few  hours  previously  stood  his  friends.  Again  they  gave 
no  sign  of  recognition. 


CHAPTER    X 

IN    PARIS    AGAIN 

Dr.  Franklin  had  just  returned  from  court.  He  had 
been  saying  many  pretty  things  to  fair  ladies,  and  had 
made  his  usual  wise  and  witty  remarks  to  ministers  and 
to  courtiers,  and  now  he  seated  himself  in  his  large  arm- 
chair near  the  table,  placed  his  big  horn  spectacles  upon 
his  nose,  and  drew  toward  him  a  pile  of  correspondence 
and  some  paper.  Dipping  his  big  quill  into  the  ink- 
stand, he  paused  a  moment  before  he  began  to  write. 
On  his  face  suddenly  came  an  expression  of  great  pain. 
He  pushed  back  his  chair,  and  lifting  his  leg  carefully 
kicked  off  the  heavy  buckled  shoe  and  rested  his  foot 
on  a  cushion  that  lay  on  the  floor.  The  good  doctor 
was  suffering  a  twinge  from  his  old  enemy,  the  gout.  At 
last,  when  he  was  more  comfortable,  a  smile  of  amusement 
lit  up  his  features  and  he  began  scratching  away  quickly 
with  the  squeaky  quill  pen.  It  was  not  a  letter  of  state 
importance  or  secret  instructions  that  he  was  working  on, 
for  every  now  and  then  his  smile  widened  or  changed  to 
one  of  quizzical  amusement.  He  had  abandoned  himself 
to  the  whim  of  the  moment,  and  when  he  had  gone  on  for 
an  hour  or  so  he  paused  and  began  to  read  what  he  had 
inscribed  aloud.  It  was  an  imaginary  conversation  be- 
tween himself  and  his  present  bodily  visitor  and  torment- 

81 


82  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

or,  whom  he  referred  to  politely  as  "  Madam  Gout."  He 
was  defending  himself  against  the  accusations  of  the  lady 
in  question  as  he  read. 

"I  take — eh! — oh! — as  much  exercise — eh!"  (here  a 
twinge  of  pain  seizes  him)  "  as  I  can,  Madam  Gout.  You 
know  my  sedentary  state,  and  on  that  account  it  would 
seem,  Madam  Gout,  as  if  you  might  spare  me  a  little, 
seeing  it  is  not  altogether  my  own  fault." 

"  Gout:  Not  a  jot!  Your  rhetoric  and  your  politeness 
are  thrown  away;  your  apology  avails  nothing.  If  your 
situation  in  life  is  a  sedentary  one,  your  amusements, 
your  recreation,  at  least,  should  be  active.  You  ought 
to  walk  or  ride;  or,  if  the  weather  prevents  that,  play  at 
billiards.     But " 

He  had  got  as  far  as  this  in  his  reading  when  a  servant 
knocked  on  the  door  and  softly  entered. 

"  A  gentleman  named  Mr.  Hodge  to  see  you,  sir," 
he  said.     "  He  says  it  is  of  great  importance." 

Dr.  Franklin's  smile  faded  and  he  pushed  the  paper 
from  him. 

"  Bid  him  enter  at  once,"  he  said,  and  an  instant  later 
Mr.  Hodge  followed  the  servant  into  the  room. 

"Ah,  good  friend!"  exclaimed  Franklin.  "You  will 
pardon  my  rising,  for  my  position  explains  itself;  but  I  see 
by  your  face  that  you  have  something  of  import.  Out 
with  it  and  no  beating  about  the  bush.  But  I  pray  you 
to  tell  me  no  bad  news  unless  that  can't  be  helped.  Come 
now,  what  is  it?  " 

In  a  few  words  Mr.  Hodge  related  the  story  of  Con- 
yngham's  adventures  and  the  return  with  the  packet. 
When  he  had  finished,  Franklin  arose  and,  despite  the 
fact    that    one    foot    was    shoeless,    limped    heavily    two 


IN   PARIS   AGAIN  83 


or  three  times  around  the  room.  Then  he  at  last 
replied: 

"  Your  news,  Mr.  Hodge,  is  both  good  and  bad.  I 
might  have  known  that  Conyngham  would  have  done 
something  of  this  sort,  but  just  at  present  affairs  at  court 
are  somewhat  puzzling.  I  can  trust  Turgot  and  Maure- 
pas,  but  the  Count  de  Vergennes,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  is  at  times  too  deep  for  me.  Just  now  he  seems 
to  be  listening  too  much  to  Lord  Stormont.  I  would 
that  we  could  get  some  good  news  from  America  about 
the  doings  of  the  army.  But  what  you  say  about  the 
foreign  mails  demands  attention.  They  must  go  to  de 
Vergennes  this  very  moment.  Do  you  think  that  you  are 
the  first  to  bring  the  news  of  all  this  to  Paris?  " 

"  That  I  can  not  say,  sir,"  returned  Hodge.  "  There 
was  a  chaise  and  four  an  hour  or  so  ahead  of  me  on  the 
road.  I  obtained  word  of  its  having  preceded  me  at  sev- 
eral stopping-places." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  one  of  Stormont's  people,"  said 
Franklin  slowly;  "  they  have  kept  him  well  informed;  but 
if  so,  I  shall  soon  hear  of  it." 

There  came  a  ring  at  the  garden  bell  just  at  this  in- 
stant, for  it  was  near  candle-time  and  the  porter  had  closed 
the  gate  for  the  evening. 

"  There!  "  exclaimed  the  doctor.  "  That  may  be  news 
now."  And  almost  immediately  the  servant  brought  in 
the  name  of  Mr.  Silas  Deane,  Dr.  Franklin's  fellow  com- 
missioner to  the  court. 

Following  close  upon  the  announcement  Deane  en- 
tered. He  looked  surprised  at  seeing  Hodge,  and  after 
greeting  him  spoke  quickly. 

"  So  you  are  already  in  possession  of  what  I  was  going 


84  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

to  tell  you!"  he  exclaimed.  "Lord  Stormont  has  been 
told  of  our  Captain  Conyngham's  arrival  at  Dunkirk  and 
has  called  on  the  Count  de  Vergennes.  Dubourge  in- 
formed me  so  but  a  half  hour  since.  Conyngham  must 
be  communicated  with  and  warned.  Dubourge  says  that 
his  lordship  was  in  no  pleasant  humor,  and  let  drop  some 
direful  threats.'' 

Franklin  seated  himself  in  the  big  chair  and  placed 
his  foot  again  on  the  cushion. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  we  must  do  some  leaping; 
I  mean  you  must — for  my  leaping  days  are  over;  but 
*  look  before  you  leap '  is  a  good  old  maxim,  and  let  us 
do  some  looking.  The  position  is  just  this:  Had  this 
thing  happened  three  weeks  later,  or  had  it  followed  upon 
receipt  of  good  news  from  America,  it  would  cause  me 
but  little  concern;  but  coming  now  the  situation  is  most 
grave.  Captain  Conyngham  with  his  prizes  must  leave 
Dunkirk  and  make  his  way  to  Spain.  Through  our 
friend  Hortalez  &  Co.  I  have  made  arrangements  for  the 
disposal  of  our  property  there.  It  is  not  safe  for  him 
to  remain  in  France.  Are  you  too  tired,  Mr.  Hodge," 
he  concluded,  "  to  post  back  to  Dunkirk  at  once?  Our 
American  friends  there  must  be  informed." 

Mr.  Hodge  sighed.  He  had  had  but  little  rest  on  the 
journey,  and  the  prospect  of  another  long  one  was  not 
alluring;  but  there  was  nothing  for  it,  and  he  acquiesced 
with  good  grace. 

The  doctor  was  beginning  to  give  him  some  verbal 
instructions  when  the  bell  at  the  gate  rang  again,  and 
following  close  upon  the  servant's  heels  the  younger  Ross 
entered  the  room.  He  was  travel-stained  and  his  clothes 
looked  dusty  and  rumpled.     Apparently  he  was  surprised 


IN    PARIS   AGAIN  85 

to  find  the  other  gentlemen  present,  and  stood  somewhat 
embarrassed  at  the  door,  but  upon  being  presented  to 
Mr.  Deane,  whom  he  had  not  met,  his  embarrassment 
changed  to  excitement  quickly,  and  he  began  to  speak 
hurriedly. 

"  Conyngham  has  been  taken,"  he  said.  "  His  vessel 
and  the  prizes  have  been  seized!" 

"  By  the  English?  "  exclaimed  Franklin,  almost  jump- 
ing this  time  to  his  feet,  despite  the  remark  about  his 
leaping  days. 

"  No,  sir;  he  surrendered  himself  and  his  sword  to  the 
keeping  of  the  French  Government.  He  and  some  of  his 
men  are  in  the  French  military  prison." 

"Did  the  English  obtain  possession  of  his  papers?" 
anxiously  inquired  Franklin. 

"  Not  all  of  them,  sir,  for  he  sent  you  this,  and  bade 
me  get  it  to  your  hands  with  all  possible  despatch."  He 
handed  to  Dr.  Franklin  as  he  spoke  the  big  white  packet 
that  Conyngham  had  slipped  into  his  brother's  hand. 

Franklin  opened  it  nervously  and  glanced  at  the  con- 
tents.    Immediately  he  appeared  greatly  relieved. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  you  must  both  retire,  and  I 
suggest  that  you  get  much-needed  rest  and  repair  here 
to-morrow  morning.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Deane  and 
I  will  talk  matters  over.  Will  you  breakfast  with  me  here 
in  the  garden?  " 

Ross  and  Hodge  left  in  a  few  minutes,  and  Silas  Deane 
and  the  good  doctor  were  alone. 

"  I  wonder  would  it  be  possible  for  either  of  us  to  see 
de  Vergennes  to-morrow?  "  asked  Franklin,  as  he  placed 
in  a  large  portfolio  the  papers  that  he  had  taken  from  the 
package. 


86  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

"  He  apparently  wishes  to  avoid  an  interview  with 
me,"  replied  Silas  Deane,  "  for  I  have  been  unable  to 
get  at  him  for  some  time.  But  this  is  bad  news  about 
Conyngham.  If  he  has  been  thrown  into  a  French  prison, 
it  must  still  be  at  the  instigation  of  the  British  authorities, 
and  they  will  demand  that  he  be  handed  over  to  them. 
They  will  call  his  doings  by  ugly  names,  I  warrant  you. 
There  will  be  a  flood  of  abuse  and  invective." 

"  And  I  have  a  good  stop-gap  for  some  of  it,"  was 
Franklin's  return.  "  I  do  not  think  that  they  will  proceed 
to  extremes.  To-morrow  I  will  see  Maurepas,  possibly 
Beaumarchais,  and  if  needs  be,  the  Queen." 

Deane  was  forced  to  smile  despite  himself,  for  he  well 
knew  the  rumors  of  the  good  doctor's  success  with  the 
fair  sex;  even  the  Queen  had  succumbed  to  his  magnetic 
wit  and  personality,  so  it  was  but  a  bald  statement  of 
facts,  and  no  boasting. 

For  some  reason  Franklin  did  not  then  show  to  Mr. 
Deane  the  paper  which  proved  that  Conyngham  held  a 
commission  in  the  new  navy  of  the  United  Colonies.  Had 
he  done  so  a  great  deal  that  subsequently  happened  might 
have  been  averted.  For  half  an  hour  longer  the  two  com- 
missioners spoke  of  other  matters.  Affairs  looked  very 
glum  indeed  for  the  struggling  little  nation  across  the 
water,  and  no  news  had  been  received  for  some  time. 
The  failure  of  this  last  project  boded  ill  for  future  at- 
tempts, yet  the  mere  fact  that  it  had  at  first  succeeded 
and  that  the  rattlesnake  flag  had  been  flown  in  the  Chan- 
nel proved  to  Europe  that  the  new  nation  was  alive. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE   REVENGE 

The  position  that  Captain  Conyngham  and  his  crew 
found  themselves  in  was  peculiar.  But  few  of  his  men 
had  actually  been  placed  under  arrest.  The  Frenchmen 
who  had  shipped  in  the  Surprise,  though  well  known  to 
the  authorities,  had  been  unmolested,  nor  could  the  im- 
prisonment of  the  few  others  be  considered  in  the  light 
of  a  great  hardship.  The  men  occupied  roomy  quarters 
facing  on  the  main  courtyard,  were  allowed  to  purchase 
extra  supplies,  and  in  squads  of  five  or  six  they  were  per- 
mitted to  exercise  in  the  open  air  of  the  court.  Captain 
Conyngham  was  in  a  different  wing  of  the  jail,  but  was 
treated  more  as  a  guest  than  as  a  prisoner;  still,  until  al- 
most a  week  had  gone  by  he  had  found  it  impossible  to 
communicate  with  any  friends  in  the  outside  world.  One 
day,  to  his  surprise,  however,  he  heard  a  cheery  voice 
calling  to  him  from  the  doorway  of  his  large  cell,  for, 
being  in  a  prison,  every  room  was  supposed  to  hold  pris- 
oners. Looking  up,  Conyngham  saw  his  friend  Allan 
standing  laughing  at  him  cheerfully.  He  had  a  long 
apron  hanging  from  his  shoulders  and  a  baker's  basket 
on  his  arm. 

"  Any  bread  this  morning,  sir?  "  he  asked  in  French. 
"  I  have  some  good  Yankee  bread  with  raisins  and 
sweetening." 

87 


88  WITH   THE    FLAG    IN    THE    CHANNEL 

"  Ah,  but  it's  good  to  have  a  sight  of  you,  friend 
Allan!"  exclaimed  Conyngham,  rushing  up  and  grasping 
the  imitation  baker  by  both  hands,  that,  to  carry  out  the 
illusion,  Allan  had  daubed  with  flour.  "  Aren't  you  run- 
ning great  risks?  "  he  asked. 

"  Risks?  "  laughed  Allan.  "  Why,  if  the  Frenchmen 
found  out  that  I  was  bringing  in  food  to  their  starving 
prisoners,  I  would  be  hung,  drawn,  and  quartered." 

"  So  you  donned  this  disguise,"  laughed  Conyngham 
in  reply,  "  and  they  never  suspected  you  of  such  a  thing. 
But  news!  news!  my  friend;  that's  what  I  am  starving 
for — it's  the  heart  and  the  soul  of  me  that's  crying  and 
not  my  stomach,  for  that  the  head  jailer  has  looked  after 
well.  Are  they  going  to  hand  us  over  to  the  Britishers? 
— that's  the  first  question." 

"  They  are  and  they  aren't,"  replied  Allan,  "  but  this 
news  I  got  this  morning  from  Paris:  'Tell  Conyngham 
to  sit  tight  and  not  worry.  All  is  apparently  going  well.' 
But  the  French  are  great  people — they  must  do  every- 
thing like  a  play  or  a  spectacle.  Here  I  was  told  that 
I  should  be  allowed  to  see  you  if  I  applied  to  the  com- 
mandant, and  he  informs  me  that  I  certainly  can  do  so, 
but  requests  that  I  shall  put  on  a  disguise.  I  tried  on 
three  uniforms,  but  there  were  none  that  would  button 
or  allow  me  to  sit  down." 

"  Which  by  the  same  token  I  haven't  asked  you  to 
do  myself  yet,"  was  Conyngham's  reply. 

Allan  seated  himself  in  the  big  rush-bottom  chair  and 
placed  his  basket  on  the  floor. 

"  The  English  expect  that  you  are  to  be  handed  over 
for  a  certainty,"  Allan  continued.  "  They  have  prepared 
the  sloop  of  war  to  receive  you,  and  I  understand  that 


THE   REVENGE  89 


another  is  on  its  way.  Instructions,  too,  have  been  sent 
to  Portsmouth  or  Southampton,  but  we  will  disappoint 
them.  The  French  Government  is  playing  its  little  game 
of  '  wait  a  bit  longer,'  and  never  letting  their  right  hand 
see  what  their  left  hand  is  doing." 

"  I  knew  that  Dr.  Franklin  would  take  care  of  that," 
returned  Conyngham,  "  but  how  long  is  it  going  to  last?  " 

"  Have  patience!  "  replied  Allan,  "  it  certainly  will  not 
be  long.  I  am  expecting  Mr.  Hodge  to-morrow  or  the 
day  after  from  Paris." 

"  Have  the  crew  been  informed?  " 

"  All  but  four  of  them  escaped  last  night,"  answered 
Allan. — "  How  careless  these  Frenchmen  are! — There  will 
be  another  row  when  the  English  hear  of  it;  but  I  must 
be  going,  as  they  have  spies  by  day  watching  the  en- 
trance to  the  prison  and  overlooking  the  yard,  from  the 
tall  house  next  to  the  church." 

With  that  he  picked  up  his  basket,  and  after  shaking 
hands  went  out  into  the  yard,  where  the  sentry,  evidently 
under  orders,  allowed  him  to  proceed  to  another  part  in 
an  endeavor  to  dispose  of  his  wares. 

The  next  day  Conyngham  had  another  unexpected 
visitor,  but  it  was  not  Mr.  Hodge,  and  happened  thus: 
He  was  out  in  the  inclosure  amusing  himself  and  at  the 
same  time  taking  exercise  by  bounding  a  rubber  ball  back 
and  forth  against  the  high  brick  sides  of  the  building,  when 
one  of  the  under  jailers  called  to  him  from  the  entrance. 
At  the  same  time  a  red-faced  man  who  accompanied  the 
jailer  stepped  forward,  and  telling  the  jailer  to  go,  stood 
as  if  waiting  for  Conyngham  to  approach,  but  the  latter 
paid  no  attention  and  went  on  with  his  game.  At  last 
the  man  drew  near  and  spoke. 
7 


9o  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

"  I  am  Captain  Cuthbertson  of  his  Majesty's  sloop-of- 
war  Alert.    Your  name  is  Conyngham,"  he  said. 

"  Now,  somebody  must  have  told  you  that,"  returned 
Conyngham.  "  But  it  is  my  name,  and  I  am  captain  of 
the  armed  cruiser  the  Surprise." 

"  Which  has  been  turned  over  to  his  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment with  the  other  vessels  that  you  piratically  took  off 
the  coast  of  Holland,"  replied  the  officer. 

"  Indeed?  "  was  the  reply.  "  That  must  be  gratifying 
to  his  Majesty.  But  now,  captain,  won't  you  take  off 
your  coat  and  have  a  game  with  me?  It  is  a  pleasant 
little  occupation  that  two  can  play  at  better  than  one. 
I  have  little  with  me  to  wager  but  my  shoe-buckles.  I 
will  play  mine  against  yours.  Or  we'll  put  up  our  wigs," 
he  continued. 

"  You've  played  for  a  larger  stake  than  that  and 
you've  lost,"  replied  Captain  Cuthbertson.  "  How  can 
you,  knowing  that  your  very  life  is  in  jeopardy,  indulge 
in  such  pastimes?  " 

"  If  my  life  was  in  jeopardy,  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
in  a  good  cause.  I  ask  for  no  favors  except  a  little  more 
elbow  room,  for  you're  standing  just  where  I  wish  to  begin 
playing." 

"  Listen  to  me  first,"  spoke  the  officer,  not  noticing 
that  a  dangerous  flash  had  come  into  Conyngham's 
eyes.  "  His  Majesty  might  be  disposed  to  be  lenient — 
aye,  more  than  that — if  you  will  listen  to  reason.  Per- 
haps it  might  be  possible  to  arrange  a  pardon  for  you 
— and  more.  You  have  once  been  a  British  subject. 
Return  to  your  allegiance  and  loyalty.  I  doubt  not 
that  it  might  be  so  arranged  that  a  good  place  could 
be    found    for    you    in    the    naval    establishment,    and 


THE   REVENGE  91 


that  with  your  talents  a  sure  advancement  would 
follow." 

Conyngham  threw  the  ball  into  the  air  and  caught 
it.  "  You  may  tell  those  who  sent  you,"  he  replied,  "  that 
his  Majesty  might  offer  me  the  position  of  an  admiral 
of  the  blue,  and  I  would  tell  him  that  I  would  rather 
spend  my  days  in  the  hold  of  a  prison-hulk  than  accept 
it.  As  you  will  not  play  with  me,  I  shall  have  to  ask  you 
to  stand  aside  again.  Some  day  we  may  meet  where  the 
game  will  be  for  larger  stakes  and  there  will  be  harder 
missiles  flying.     Good  morning,  sir." 

The  officer  stamped  his  foot  and  started  to  reply,  then 
he  changed  his  mind  quickly  and  left  the  jail-yard  with- 
out a  word. 

Conyngham  stopped  playing  and  went  to  his  cell.  Be- 
fore an  hour  had  passed  another  visitor  was  announced. 
It  was  Mr.  Hodge.  He  was  not  disguised,  but  dressed 
in  his  usual  habit,  that  of  a  merchant  in  prosperous  cir- 
cumstances. 

"  I  expected  to  see  you  as  a  cat's-meat  man  or  a  tur- 
baned  Turk,  my  dear  sir,"  was  Conyngham's  greeting, 
"  and  yet  here  you  come  as  if  you  were  dropping  into 
the  tavern  of  our  friend  on  the  hill." 

Hodge  smiled.  "  There  is  very  little  more  trouble.  I 
bore  some  instructions  from  Paris  that  have  made  the 
commandant  of  the  prison  a  very  subservient  individual." 

"Then  you  have  brought  me  my  release!" 

"  No,  not  that,  but  it  will  follow  in  due  time.  In 
some  way  the  commissioners  have  got  the  French  min- 
istry between  the  grindstones,  or — a  better  simile  perhaps 
— Dr.  Franklin  is  about  to  checkmate  de  Vergennes  and 
the  latter  is  apparently  glad  to  call  the  game  a  draw. 


92  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

Good  news  also  has  come  from  America,  though  no  great 
victory  has  yet  been  won.  Grand,  our  banker  in  Paris, 
has  now  another  hundred  thousand  livres  at  the  disposal 
of  the  commissioners.  What  we  must  do  is  to  spend  it 
in  such  a  manner  as  will  best  benefit  the  cause." 

"  Then  force  the  hand  of  the  French  Government," 
replied  Conyngham.  "  Everything  that  you  do  to  make 
them  ♦  sever  relations  formed  on  any  friendly  basis  with 
England,  will  lend  more  assistance  than  the  capture  of  a 
dozen  packets." 

"And  how  is  it  best  to  do  that?"  asked  Mr.  Hodge. 

"  I  will  answer  that  with  a  question  first,"  replied  Con- 
yngham. "  How  much  longer  shall  I  be  detained  in  this 
'  durance  vile'?     By  the  Powers,  I'm  tired  of  it." 

"  Four  or  five  days,  perhaps  a  week." 

"  That  is  right  and  will  do  well.  You're  supposed  by 
many  to  be  an  English  merchant  here,  Mr.  Hodge.  I 
am,  and  will  be  for  a  little  time,  a  prisoner.  You  did  not 
figure  in  the  purchase  of  the  Surprise,  but  there  is  a  fine 
two-masted  craft  of  something  over  a  hundred  tons  lying 
moored  at  the  end  of  the  long  wharf.  She  is  for  sale. 
Buy  her  at  once." 

"  And  then  what?  " 

"  Fit  her  out  with  stores  for  a  two  months'  cruise.  I 
will  secure  her  armament  and  crew  upon  my  release." 

"  We  shall  surely  be  in  trouble  again." 

"  Not  much  this  time.  To  my  thinking,  the  French 
Government  will  be  glad  to  be  rid  of  us.  To  the  south 
of  us  lies  Spain  with  its  open  market,  to  the  west  of  Eng- 
land lies  Ireland  with  many  a  well-provisioned  port  and 
friendly  hand,  and  there  is  always  our  own  country.  Had 
my  last  vessel  been  big  enough  to  have  crossed  safely  and 


THE   REVENGE  93 


had  we  not  taken  those  unlucky  mails,  it  was  for  home 
that  I  would  have  headed  the  Surprise.'' 

"  She  lived  up  to  the  definition  of  her  name;  what 
would  you  call  this  one?  " 

"I  would  be  after  calling  her/'  replied  Conyngham 
slyly  and  in  the  softest  of  brogues,  "  I'd  be  after  calling 
her  the  Revenge." 


CHAPTER    XII 

SAILING    ORDERS 

Made  fast  to  the  end  of  the  long  wharf  was  a  rakish- 
looking  vessel,  and  all  about  her  was  a  scene  of  continu- 
ous activity.  From  small  boats  and  slings  men  were 
painting  her  topsides,  and  at  the  same  time,  running  to 
and  fro  from  the  wharf,  others  busy  as  ants  were  carrying 
bales  and  boxes  on  board;  windlasses  were  lifting  and 
swinging  the  heavier  goods  over  the  bulwarks.  On  the 
string-piece  stood  an  active,  wiry  figure,  recognizable  at 
a  glance,  and  near  by  was  the  portly  form  of  our  friend 
Hodge.  Conyngham  was  a  free  man  again.  Mysterious 
orders  had  come  from  Paris,  and  to  the  surprise  of  every- 
body he  had  appeared  one  day  walking  the  streets  of 
Dunkirk  smilingly  greeting  the  inhabitants,  who  remem- 
bered well  his  giving  the  stores  of  the  other  vessels  to 
the  populace  on  the  day  of  his  arrest. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  the  second  week  of  July,  1777, 
and  for  over  a  fortnight  the  outfitting,  loading,  and 
changing  had  been  going  on  and  the  nameless  vessel  that 
was  going  on  the  nameless  mission  was  almost  ready  to 
set  sail.  To  tell  the  truth,  although  at  first  there  was 
some  mystery  made  about  her  ownership,  her  destination, 
and  her  probable  calling,  there  was  very  little  of  the  mys- 
tery left  at  the  time  at  which  this  chapter  opens.  The 
English  spies  and  sympathizers  in  Dunkirk  were  almost 

94 


At  the  end  of  the   wharf  was  a  rakish-looking  vessel. 


SAILING   ORDERS  95 

at  their  wits'  end.  They  had  informed  their  Government 
of  their  opinions,  and  now  began  to  write  to  the  English 
press  in  order  to  stir  the  Government  to  action. 

A  copy  of  the  London  Times  almost  a  week  old  had 
come  to  the  hands  of  Conyngham.  As  he  glanced  through 
the  pages,  all  at  once  his  own  name  attracted  his  atten- 
tion. This  had  happened  as  he  was  walking  down  to 
the  wharf,  and  he.  had  smiled  broadly  as  he  perused  the 
remarkable  effusion.  He  had  slipped  the  paper  into  his 
pocket,  where,  in  the  interest  of  watching  the  vessel's  load- 
ing, although  he  took  no  active  part  in  its  direction,  he 
had  forgotten  it. 

"  Everything  seems  to  be  going  finely,  Captain  Gus- 
tavus,"  said  Mr.  Hodge.  "  No  one  apparently  suspects 
the  ownership  of  the  vessel,  and  I  do  not  think  the  French 
authorities  will  interfere  with  her  sailing." 

Conyngham  smiled.  That  no  one  seemed  to  object 
struck  him  as  having  a  humorous  meaning.  Perhaps  he 
had  not  observed  the  twinkle  in  Mr.  Hodge's  eye,  as  he 
advanced  this  statement.  He  was  about  to  refer  to  the 
article  in  the  Times  when  something  attracted  his  at- 
tention. 

Two  men,  one  dressed  as  a  sailor  and  the  other  as 
something  of  a  court  dandy,  came  walking  together  down 
the  wharf.  The  sailorman  to  all  appearances  had  been 
drinking  and  was  asking  the  gentleman  with  the  long 
satin  waistcoat  for  something  more  with  which  to  quench 
his  thirst.  At  last  the  latter,  as  if  he  could  no  longer 
resist  the  man's  importuning,  reached  into  his  pocket  and, 
producing  a  purse,  took  out  a  small  silver  piece.  At  the 
same  time  he  addressed  some  words  to  the  sailor,  as  if 
bidding  him  begone. 


96  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

"  I  know  this  fop  in  satin  and  lace,"  said  Hodge.  "  I 
have  seen  him  in  Paris,  but  I  can  not  recollect  where. 
He's  not  a  Frenchman,  but  a  German  or  a  Pole." 

"  Methinks  I  know  him  too,"  returned  Conyngham. 
"  He's  talking  English  to  that  beggar.  Well,  well — by 
the  great  gun! — it  comes  to  me." 

Conyngham  lowered  his  voice  almost  to  a  whisper 
and  spoke  without  turning  his  head  or  scarcely  moving 
his  lips. 

"  I  know  both  of  them  now,"  he  said.  "  The  fop  is 
our  friend  the  English  spy,  and  the  other  is  one  of  the 
stool-pigeons.  What  do  you  suppose  he  said  just  then? 
Hush!  here  he  comes  in  our  direction.  It  is  his  intention 
to  get  near  to  us  and  listen  to  our  conversation." 

"  Let  us  move  then,"  suggested  Mr.  Hodge,  "  for 
there  is  a  good  deal  about  me  that  I  would  not  wish  to 
have  known;  besides,"  he  added,  "  I  think  you  are  mis- 
taken, for  I  now  remember  where  I  have  seen  this  cox- 
comb, and  at  the  house  of  no  one  less  than  good  Dr. 
Bancroft,  the  geographer  and  scientist,  the  friend  of 
Franklin,  and  one  who  had  kept  us  well  informed  of  the 
British  plans." 

"Then  keep  an  eye  on  Dr.  Bancroft,  is  my  advice," 
rejoined  Conyngham.  "Hush!  let  me  speak  to  this  fel- 
low." 

The  drunken  sailor  lurched  up  and  leant  with  both 
elbows  against  a  big  pine-wood  box,  but  apparently  he 
paid  no  attention  to  the  proximity  of  the  others,  for  he 
began  emptying  his  pockets  of  their  contents,  which  in- 
cluded the  silver  piece  which  had  just  been  given  him, 
and  searching  for  some  bits  of  tobacco  he  jammed  them 
into  the  bowl  of  his  black  heavy  pipe. 


SAILING   ORDERS  97 


"  What  you  say  about  the  moon  may  be  true,"  ob- 
served the  captain  as  if  carrying  on  some  deep  subject, 
"  but  still  the  influence  of  the  orb  upon  the  tides  has  been 
acknowledged  for  centuries." 

The  sailor  by  this  time  had  found  a  bit  of  flint  and 
steel  and  was  trying  to  ignite  a  bit  of  pocket  tinder. 

All  at  once  Conyngham  turned  toward  him,  and  at 
the  same  time  taking  the  copy  of  the  Times  out  of  his 
pocket,  he  spread  it  out  on  the  top  of  the  box  and  began 
to  read  aloud. 

"  Listen  to  this  nonsense,"  he  said  in  beginning.  "  The 
English  must  be  in  a  ferment  of  terror  to  believe  such 
stuff  as  this,"  and  forthwith  he  read: 

"  I  saw  Conyngham  yesterday.  He  had  engaged  a 
crew  of  desperate  characters  to  man  a  vessel  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  tons.  She  has  now  Frenchmen  on  board 
to  deceive  our  minister  here.  A  fine  fast-sailing  vessel, 
handsomely  painted  blue  and  yellow,  is  now  at  Dunkirk, 
having  powder,  small  arms,  and  ammunition  for  her.  Con- 
yngham proved  the  cannon  himself,  and  told  the  by- 
standers he  would  play  the  d 1  with  the  British  trade 

at  Havre.  It  is  supposed  when  the  vessel  is  ready  the 
Frenchmen  will  yield  command  to  Conyngham  and  his 
crew.  The  vessel  is  to  mount  twenty  carriage-guns  and 
to  have  a  complement  of  sixty  men.  She  is  the  fastest 
sailer  now  known — no  vessel  can  catch  her  once  out  on 
the  ocean. 

"  I  send  you  timely  notice  that  you  may  be  enabled 
to  take  active  measures  to  stay  this  daring  character,  who 
fears  not  man  or  government,  but  sets  all  at  defiance. 

"  He  had  the  impudence  to  say  if  he  wanted  provisions 


98  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

or  repairs,  he  would  put  into  an  Irish  harbor  and  obtain 
them. 

"  It  is  vain  here  to  say  Conyngham  is  a  pirate.  They 
will  tell  you  he  is  one  brave  American;  he  is  '  a  bold  Boston.' 

"  You  can  not  be  too  soon  on  the  alert  to  stop  the 

cruise  of  this  daring  pirate. 

James  Clements. 

There  was  also  a  letter  that  Conyngham  read  in  even 
a  louder  tone: 

"  Paris,  July  28,  1777. 

"  Sir:  You  have  no  doubt  been  informed  by  your  min- 
istry that  Lord  Stormont  had  been  successful,  and  that 
the  Court  of  Versailles  had  declared  their  ports  shut 
against  American  privateers.  Let  your  blind  politicians 
sleep,  the  guns  of  the  American  privateers  will  waken  them 
to  their  sorrows.  The  General  Mifflin  privateer  arrived, 
and  Monsieur  de  ChaufTault,  the  admiral,  returned  the 
salute  in  form,  as  to  a  vessel  from  a  sovereign  and  inde- 
pendent state. 

"  Your  papers  tell  us  that  Conyngham  is  in  chains  in 
Dunkirk,  and  is  expected  shortly  in  London,  to  be  tried 
and  hung.  I  tell  you  that  Conyngham  is  on  the  ocean, 
like  a  lion  searching  for  prey.  Woe  be  to  those  vessels 
who  come  within  his  grasp.  No  force  intimidates  him. 
God  and  America  is  his  motto.  Our  country  is  duped 
by  French  artifice." 

As  he  finished  it  was  noticeable  to  both  men  that  the 
drunken  sailor  was  paying  strict  attention. 

"What's  your  opinion  of  that?"  asked  Conyngham. 
The  man  looked  up  slowly  and  found  the  captain's 


SAILING   ORDERS  99 

eyes  fastened  upon  his  own.  "  I  say,  what  is  your  opinion 
of  that?  "  he  reiterated,  this  time  leaning  forward  and 
grasping  the  man  by  the  collar  of  his  open  jacket. 

So  surprised  was  the  latter  that  the  pipe  fell  from  his 
lips,  and  before  he  could  control  himself  an  oath  followed 
the  pipe — an  oath  in  good  round  English. 

Conyngham  affected  to  laugh. 

"  Why,  he  has  understood  everything  we've  been  say- 
ing," he  said,  turning  to  Mr.  Hodge  again. 

The  sailor,  who  had  wrenched  himself  free,  started  to 
walk  away.  His  efforts  in  that  direction  were  accelerated 
by  a  well-placed  kick,  administered  by  the  toe  of  Conyng- 
ham's  boot.  But  he  apparently  did  not  resent  it,  and 
still  affecting  to  be  under  the  influence  of  liquor  stum- 
bled up  the  wharf. 

"  That  will  puzzle  our  friend  with  the  high-heeled 
boots,"  said  the  captain,  "  but  to  tell  the  truth  I  think 
there  is  very  little  use  in  any  more  secrecy.  They  seem 
to  know  as  much  of  the  situation  as  we  do." 

This  was  nothing  more  than  the  truth,  and  before 
two  days  had  passed  Conyngham  had  openly  acknowl- 
edged it  by  superintending  the  placing  of  the  cannon  on 
board  of  the  Revenge,  and  the  French  Government  had 
agreed  to  allow  her  to  depart  from  the  port  of  Dunkirk, 
upon  Mr.  Hodge,  who  had  all  through  the  transaction 
appeared  as  her  owner,  signing  a  bond  that  she  would 
do  no  cruising  off  the  coast  of  France. 

The  time  of  sailing  drew  on  quickly.  The  vessel  was 
laden,  the  ammunition  was  all  on  board — there  was  no 
secrecy  about  that  now — the  crew  had  been  picked  and 
divided  into  watches;  some  attempt  had  even  been  made 
to  drill  them  at  the  guns.    The  citizens  of  Dunkirk  knew 


ioo  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

almost  to  a  man  that  the  tidy  little  cruiser  would  soon  be 
on  the  sea. 

Once  more  the  four  "  conspirators "  were  grouped 
about  the  table  at  the  tavern. 

"  Three  days  from  now,  captain,  and  you  will  be  off 
the  headlands,"  observed  Mr.  Hodge,  "  and  we  shall  be 
here  waiting  to  see  which  way  the  cat  will  jump." 

"  If  you  mean  Lord  Stormont  by  '  the  cat/  "  answered 
Conyngham,  "  I  think  he  is  all  ready  for  jumping  now." 

"  I  wish,"  rejoined  the  elder  Ross,  "  that  we  were  cer- 
tain of  the  French  minister's  temper.  Dr.  Franklin  must 
have  had  a  strong  cudgel  in  his  hands  to  bring  him 
to  terms  at  all.  I  wonder  what  it  was?  You  could  tell  us, 
Captain  Conyngham,  if  you  wished,  of  that  I'm  sure." 

Conyngham  looked  at  the  others  intently.  He  waited 
for  Hodge  to  speak,  thinking  that  of  course  the  good 
doctor  had  told  him  of  the  commission  that  undoubtedly 
had  been  the  cudgel  that  had  brought  the  Count  de  Ver- 
gennes  to  terms.  But  seeing  that  Hodge  apparently  did 
not  wish  to  refer  to  it,  he  also  held  his  peace  and  changed 
the  subject. 

"  You  say  that  Dr.  Franklin's  secretary  will  be  down 
from  Paris  to-morrow?  "  he  asked  Mr.  Hodge.  "  I  sup- 
pose with  final  instructions." 

The  younger  Ross  laughed.  "  I  don't  think  there  will 
be  many  instructions  that  we  could  not  guess,"  he  said. 
"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  case  is  clear  enough — to  capture 
as  many  of  the  enemy's  vessels  as  possible  and  not  to 
get  caught  at  it,  is  an  easy  thing  to  remember." 

"  There  will  be  more  than  that,  my  son,"  returned 
Hodge,  "  much  more  than  that,  I  hope,  for  you  must  re- 
member that  I  am  responsible  to  the  French  Government 


SAILING   ORDERS 


IOI 


for  the  proper  behavior  of  the  gallant J  captai-i  :so '  }oog 
as  he  remains  on  the  coast  of  France.'' 

"  And  you  have  no  longing  for  the  Bastile,  eh?  " 

"  Not  much,  my  son.  But  Mr.  Carmichael  will  tell  us 
to  what  length  we  can  go  in  interpreting  the  cautions  of 
the  ministry." 

After  some  more  desultory  talk  the  meeting  broke  up, 
another  parting  toast  being  drunk  to  the  success  of  the 
Revenge. 

Mr.  Hodge  and  Conyngham  walked  down  the  street 
toward  the  pier  where  the  captain's  gig  was  waiting,  for 
he  was  now  living  openly  on  board  the  Revenge  and 
making  no  secret  of  his  connection  with  her. 

"  Tell  me,  my  good  friend,"  asked  the  captain,  "  did 
Dr.  Franklin  say  nothing  to  you  about  the  contents  of 
that  packet  that  you  brought  to  Paris  with  you?  It 
would  seem  rather  unusual  if  he  did  not." 

"  Nothing  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  glad  to  re- 
ceive it,"  was  the  reply.  "  What  did  it  contain?  You 
were  asked  that  question  before.  If  you  do  not  care  to 
tell — why,  consider  it  unasked." 

"  It  contained  enough  to  save  my  life,"  was  the  reply: 
"  my  commission — that  was  all." 

"  You  have  not  received  it  back?  " 

"  I  have  not  seen  or  heard  of  it  from  that  day  to  this." 

Hodge  gave  vent  to  a  prolonged  whistle. 

"  This  is  a  serious  matter,"  he  said.  "  But  perhaps 
Carmichael  will  fetch  it  down  with  him." 

"  I  hope  and  trust  so,"  was  the  reply.  "  Sure,  I  don't 
care  any  more  for  the  yard-arm  than  you  do  for  the  Bas- 
tile." 

Conyngham  was  worried  and  slept  little  that  night, 


io2  WITH  THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 


stiU  be  reasoned  that  it  was  more  than  probable  that  the 
commission  would  be  forthcoming  in  the  morning,  and 
also  that  he  would  be  relieved  from  all  secrecy  as  to  its 
possession.  He  saw  that  it  had  worked  wonders,  and 
that  slowly  but  surely  France  and  England  were  verging 
toward  war;  that  before  many  months  should  pass  America 
would  have  a  powerful  ally.  Of  course,  in  view  of  these 
circumstances,  France  could  not  have  given  the  mortal 
offense  of  surrendering  a  regularly  commissioned  officer 
into  the  hands  of  what  soon  was  to  be  a  common  enemy. 

The  next  day  Carmichael  arrived.  He  was  a  tall, 
spare  man,  with  a  hawked  nose;  a  broad,  good-natured  grin 
was  usually  on  his  lips,  but  he  was  keen  as  a  whip-lash. 

It  was  the  morning  of  the  15th  of  July,  and  in  the 
cabin  of  the  Revenge  Mr.  Carmichael  sat  opposite  Cap- 
tain Conyngham,  who  watched  him  with  a  smile  of  dry 
amusement  as  he  wrote.  Carmichael  was  smiling  also. 
He  had  a  trick  of  apparently  spelling  the  letters  he  was 
writing  with  his  tongue  wriggling  at  the  corner  of  his 
mouth.  As  soon  as  he  had  finished  he  turned,  and  waving 
the  paper  in  the  air  to  dry  it,  chuckled. 

"  There,  Captain  Conyngham,  are  your  sailing  orders. 
Of  course,  to  a  man  of  your  intelligence,  there  is  no  use 
of  being  more  than  explicit.  Somehow  I  am  reminded 
of  a  story  of  one  of  your  fellow  countrymen  who  was 
accused  of  killing  a  sheep,  and  in  explanation  made  the 
plea  that  he  would  kill  any  sheep  that  attacked  and  bit 
him  on  the  open  highway.  So  all  you've  got  to  do  is 
to  be  sure  that  the  sheep  bites  first/' 

"  There  is  another  little  adage  about  a  wolf  in  sheep's 
clothing,"  replied  Conyngham  laughing,  "  and  sure,  there 
are  plenty  of  them  in  both  channels,  and  in  that  case " 


SAILING   ORDERS 


103 


"  Be  sure  to  kill  the  wolf  before  he  bites  you  at  all. 
But  seriously — once  away  from  the  French  coast,  you 
ought  to  have  a  free  foot.  Do  not  send  any  prizes  into 
French  ports.  Here  is  a  list  of  the  agents  of  Lazzonere 
and  Company,  Spanish  merchants,  and  here  is  a  draft  of 
a  thousand  livre  upon  them  at  Corunna.  Should  you  de- 
sire more,  accounting  will  be  kept  with  Hortalez  and  Com- 
pany that  will  be  audited  by  the  commissioners  and  by 
Grand,  the  banker,  of  Paris.  You  will  receive  the  usual 
percentage  accruing  to  the  captain  of  a  vessel  making  such 
captures,  and  will  keep  a  separate  account  of  your  expendi- 
tures and  moneys  received  and  the  value  of  prizes." 

He  handed  Captain  Conyngham  the  remarkable  in- 
structions, which  now  for  the  first  time  are  shown  to  the 
public  in  their  original  form. 


*^7*^    •*.**-»  .^-     ^    ^  ^   J,-. 

^w(^  ~.  f*^  /**.  '/77 


io4  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

Conyngham  read  the  paper  through.  "  But  there  is 
something  else,"  he  said.  "  Did  not  Dr.  Franklin  send 
some  other  paper  to  me?  " 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  packet  here  which  I  received  from  the 
secretary  of  the  Cabinet  Minister,  M.  Maurepas,  who  told 
me  that  he  had  been  instructed  to  give  them  to  me  by 
the  Count  de  Vergennes.  They  contain  some  matter  in 
relation  to  our  project." 

He  opened  his  portfolio,  and  breaking  the  seal  dis- 
played some  pages  of  closely  written  matter  that  was 
undated  and  unsigned.  It  merely  stated  that  Mr.  Hodge, 
merchant,  had  given  his  guarantee  and  bond,  together 
with  Messrs.  Ross  and  Allan,  that  the  American  vessel 
about  to  depart  from  Dunkirk  should  respect  all  Eng- 
lish commerce  and  should  make  the  best  of  her  way  to 
the  United  States.  Conyngham's  name  was  not  even 
mentioned.  As  soon  as  he  had  read  it,  the  captain  ex- 
claimed aloud: 

"We  are  trapped  again!  By  the  Powers,  there's  a 
large  rat  somewhere.  Where  is  my  commission?  I  can 
not  sail  without  one,  and  I  refuse  to  put  myself  and  my 
crew  in  such  jeopardy." 

"  Dr.  Franklin  spoke  to  me  of  the  paper  that  he  had 
given  you,  and  that  he  had  sent  to  the  Count  de  Ver- 
gennes. He  understood  from  the  latter  that  it  had  been 
returned  to  either  Mr.  Arthur  Lee  or  Mr.  Silas  Deane, 
who  had  sent  it  to  you  at  this  place." 

"  I  have  never  received  it." 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Carmichael,  "  this  must  be  attended 
to  before  sailing.  We  will  meet  ashore  this  afternoon 
with  Hodge,  Allan,  and  the  rest,  and  hold  a  council  of 
war.     Perhaps  I  had  better  see  them  first,  and  I  will 


SAILING   ORDERS  105 

.ask  you  to  send  me  off  in  one  of  your  boats  immedi- 
ately." 

The  secretary  and  the  captain  repaired  on  deck.  Con- 
yngham  felt  no  little  pride  in  his  vessel,  and  indeed  she 
was  one  to  make  the  heart  of  any  captain  glad.  Every- 
thing about  her  was  as  neat  as  a  pin.  Her  crew  of  nearly 
one  hundred  men,  forty-four  of  whom  were  Americans, 
had  picked  up  wonderfully  in  their  work.  On  her  decks 
were  fourteen  six-pounders  and  twenty  small  two-pounder 
swivels  capable  of  making  great  havoc  at  short  range 
when  loaded  with  grape  or  ball.  He  pointed  out  the  good 
points  of  his  vessel  to  Mr.  Carmichael,  who  appeared  in 
a  great  hurry  to  get  away,  and  was  soon  sent  off  in  the 
captain's  gig,  intending  to  look  up  Mr.  Hodge  as  soon 
as  possible. 

After  drilling  the  crew  all  one  afternoon,  Conyngham 
early  in  the  evening  went  ashore,  and  repaired  at  once 
to  the  usual  rendezvous.  There  he  found  the  others 
awaiting  him.     All  seemed  to  be  in  good  humor. 

"  Ho,  Captain  Glumface,"  cried  Hodge,  "  sit  down 
with  us.     I  have  some  news  that  will  give  thee  comfort." 

"Has  it  arrived?"  asked  Conyngham  eagerly. 

"Hear  the  man!"  replied  Hodge.     "Look!" 

He  handed  Conyngham  a  paper. 

"  It  is  one  that  just  by  luck  I  found  in  my  possession. 
A  blank  commission,  and  I  have  dated  it  to  cover  your 
last  cruise." 

"  But  this  is  a  privateersman's  commission,"  Conyng- 
ham said,  looking  up  from  his  perusal  of  the  paper.  "  I 
do  not  consider  myself  in  that  light." 

"  I  went  on  your  bond,"  replied  Hodge. 

"  Yes,  but  it  was  not  your  money  that  paid  for  the 


io6  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

outfitting;  it  was  money  belonging  to  the  United  Colonies 
of  America,  or  borrowed  on  their  account,  and  I  am  an 
officer  in  the  regular  navy,  and  that  vessel  sails  under 
the  flag." 

It  looked  dangerously  like  a  quarrel.  Hodge  relapsed 
into  silence  and  the  elder  Ross  looked  furtively  from  Mr. 
Carmichael  to  the  captain,  as  if  expecting  the  former  to 
come  to  the  rescue. 

"  What  you  have  there,"  said  the  secretary  at  last,  "  is 
authority  enough,  and  is  the  same  under  which  many  of 
our  cruisers  are  now  sailing.  It  is  a  letter  of  marque  re- 
spected by  the  British  Admiralty." 

"  Mayhap  so,"  replied  Conyngham,  "  but  the  date  is 
made  out  wrong.  I  sailed  in  the  Surprise  on  the  ist  of 
May,  and  this  is  made  out  on  the  2d." 

"Tut,  tut!  that  is  too  bad,"  muttered  Mr.  Hodge, 
"  and  the  last  one  I've  got,  and  in  fact  the  only  one  I 
had.    What  now  are  we  to  do?  " 

"  My  brother  comes  down  from  Paris  to-morrow,"  put 
in  Ross,  "  and  he  may  bring  news  proving  that  we  have 
time  to  wait,  or  perhaps  he  may  have  seen  Dr.  Franklin 
and  have  the  very  paper  the  captain  desires." 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  than  a  sound  of  hurrying  feet 
came  down  the  hallway  outside.  The  door  burst  open, 
and  in  rushed  the  younger  Ross.  Evidently  the  position 
of  the  candles  on  the  table  prevented  him  from  seeing 
that  Conyngham  was  present,  for  in  his  first  words  he 
asked  for  him,  and  upon  the  latter  rising,  he  came  quickly 
to  his  side. 

"  We  must  think  and  act  quickly,"  he  cried.  "  But 
two  hours  behind  me  in  the  road  is  a  messenger  from 
de  Vergennes  instructing  the  authorities  to  seize  the  ves- 


SAILING   ORDERS  107 

sel  and  not  to  allow  her  to  depart.  I  have  this  on  the 
very  best  authority.  I  saw  Dr.  Franklin  but  an  hour  or 
so  before  I  received  the  news.  He  expected  me  to  wait 
until  to-morrow,  when  he  should  have  been  granted  an 
audience  with  the  Foreign  Minister,  but  upon  ascertain- 
ing the  importance  of  immediate  action  (I  was  told  by 
the  very  messenger  to  whom  I  had  once  been  presented 
by  Dr.  Bancroft)  I  sought  out  the  doctor.  Search  high 
or  low,  I  could  not  find  him,  but  by  good  fortune  I  met 
Silas  Deane  in  company  with  our  misanthropic  friend, 
Mr.  Lee.  They  ordered  me  to  post  it  here  at  once  and 
tell  you  to  get  under  way  at  the  earliest  possible  mo- 
ment." 

"  Where  was  Dr.  Franklin,  do  you  suppose?  "  asked 
Allan. 

"  Dining  with  some  fair  countess  or  duchess  at  Ver- 
sailles," replied  Hodge,  who  leaned  perhaps  a  little 
toward  the  Lee  faction. 

The  secretary  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  said  noth- 
ing, but  Conyngham  spoke  quickly. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  there  is  but  one  thing  to  do. 
Commission  or  no  commission,  I  sail  from  Dunkirk  on 
the  early  morning  tide.  We  have  but  a  few  hours  be- 
fore us.  May  the  Powers  grant  the  messenger  does  not 
arrive  before  then.  Stormont  must  have  played  his 
trump  card  and  won." 

Quickly  the  party  broke  up  and  accompanied  Conyng- 
ham to  the  water's  edge.  Early  in  the  morning,  while 
still  the  mist  hung  over  the  harbor  and  shrouded  the 
houses  and  shipping,  a  ghostlike  vessel  appeared  in  mid- 
channel,  fanned  by  the  damp  shore  breeze.  It  was  the 
Revenge.    On  the  fast  ebb  tide  she  slid  swiftly  out  to  sea. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

#  IN    THE    CHANNEL 

The  firm  of  Hortalez  and  Company  received  word 
from  their  Spanish  agents  and  the  representatives  of  Laz- 
zonere  and  Company  that  four  English  vessels — two  brigs, 
a  large  lugger,  and  a  ship  (the  last  a  most  valuable  prize) 
— had  arrived  at  Corunna,  all  sent  in  within  a  week  after 
the  sailing  of  the  Revenge.  So  well  had  everything  been 
arranged  that  there  was  a  ready  sale.  Vessels  and  car- 
goes were  disposed  of  without  a  hitch  to  Spanish  and 
French  merchants,  in  many  cases  auctions  being  held  on 
the  public  wharves.  Two  weeks  more  and  eight  other 
prizes  were  added  to  the  list. 

England  was  now  in  a  storm  of  indignant  protest. 
The  Admiralty  was  besieged  with  letters,  and  ship-own- 
ers and  insurance  people,  frightened  at  the  prospect  of 
further  losses,  showed  signs  of  panic.  Vessels  already 
loaded  and  ready  for  sailing  were  held  in  port  until  they 
could  sail  under  convoy  of  an  armed  guard-ship.  Insur- 
ance rates  rose  twenty-five  per  cent.  And  all  this  time 
a  little,  fast-sailing  craft  drove  up  and  down  the  Channel, 
occasionally  flaunting  the  rattlesnake  flag  almost  in  sight 
of  the  fleets  that  lay  at  anchor  in  the  roadways. 

And  so  we  find  her  on  one  bright  day  in  August,  still 
in  sight  of  the  white  cliffs,  but  heading  southwest  in  chase 

108 


IN   THE   CHANNEL  109 

of  a  deep-laden  vessel  whose  suspicions  had  been  aroused, 
for  she  was  staggering  along  under  a  press  of  snow-white 
canvas. 

Conyngham  had  gone  forward  to  the  forecastle  and 
was  watching  the  chase  through  his  spy-glass.  The  crew, 
much  reduced  in  numbers  by  reason  of  manning  the  prizes, 
watched  him  carefully.  There  had  been  something  about 
the  set  of  the  stranger's  canvas  that  had  suggested  the 
man-o'-war,  and  now — although,  as  we  have  said,  she  had 
all  sail  set — she  seemed  to  display  a  slowness  that  was 
puzzling,  for  hand  over  hand  the  Revenge  picked  up  on 
her.  The  six-pounders  and  the  swivels  had  been  cast 
loose  and  provided,  and  the  men  were  only  waiting  the 
orders  to  take  their  stations.  There  was  a  ponderous 
sea  running,  and  the  armament  of  the  Revenge  was  prac- 
tically useless  except  at  short  range.  Time  and  again 
had  the  captain  longed  for  a  bow  gun,  and  he  would  have 
exchanged  half  of  his  broadside  for  a  long  twelve-pounder. 
They  were  within  two  miles  of  the  vessel  now,  and  for 
the  last  few  minutes  Conyngham  had  not  taken  his  eye 
from  the  glass,  crouching,  or  at  least  half  kneeling,  against 
the  bow-sprit  in  order  to  steady  himself.  The  lower  sails 
were  wet  with  the  spray  that  dashed  up  from  the  bows, 
and  he  himself  was  soaked  almost  to  the  skin.  Suddenly 
he  arose  and  shouted  some  orders  hurriedly.  The  Re- 
venge came  up  into  the  wind  as  if  abandoning  the  chase. 
The  second  mate,  who  stood  beside  the  helmsman,  saw 
the  captain  come  running  aft. 

"She's  a  man-o'-war  brig!"  cried  Conyngham.  "I 
thought  as  much.     She  has  a  drag  out  to  hold  her  back." 

"  There  she  comes  about,"  answered  the  second  mate. 
"  Now  we  can  see  her  teeth.     You're  right,  sir.     She 


no  WITH    THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

hoped  to  bring  us  up  to  her.  Hadn't  we  better  run 
for  it?" 

For  an  instant  the  captain  did  not  reply.  He  seemed 
to  measure  carefully  the  rate  of  the  other  vessel's  speed 
against  that  of  his  own.  The  result  apparently  satisfied 
him,  for  he  turned  again  with  a  smile. 

"  I've  got  half  a  mind  to  try  a  few  passes  with  him," 
he  said,  "  and  I  would  do  it  if  it  were  not  for  the  old 
adage  about  discretion.  For  an  Irishman,  sure  I  have 
a  reputation  for  discreetness  that  must  not  be  broken. 
And  so,"  he  continued,  "  we'll  let  well  enough  alone." 

It  was  evident  to  every  one  on  board  the  Revenge 
that  their  vessel  sailed  faster  and  closer  on  the  wind  than 
did  the  brig.  And  though  both  were  heading  toward 
the  white  cliffs,  it  became  apparent  that  if  the  wind  held, 
the  Revenge  would  not  only  cross  the  brig's  bows  at  a 
distance  that  was  practically  out  of  range  of  her  broad- 
side guns,  but  would  also  weather  the  point  that  was 
the  southernmost  cape  on  the  English  coast — Land's  End. 
By  nightfall,  if  all  went  well,  she  should  be  past  the 
entrance  to  the  Irish  Channel  and  in  her  new  cruising 
grounds.  But  an  unlooked-for  occurrence  put  an  end 
to  all  such  hopes.  Suddenly  appearing  around  the  point 
of  land,  carrying  the  wind  from  an  entirely  new  direc- 
tion, came  a  large  three-masted  vessel.  At  once  the  brig, 
that,  although  to  leeward,  was  the  nearer,  began  to  set  a 
little  row  of  signal  flags,  and,  as  if  noticing  the  shift  of 
the  wind,  she  came  about,  apparently  abandoning  the  at- 
tempt to  head  off  the  Revenge.  Instantly  Conyngham 
divined  her  purpose,  and  came  about  also  as  quickly  as 
he  could.  The  breeze,  which  had  been  from  the  eastward, 
was  rapidly  dying  down. 


IN   THE   CHANNEL  in 

The  big  stranger,  carrying  the  new  wind,  grew  larger 
and  larger.  Through  the  glass  Conyngham  could  make 
out  three  rows  of  ports,  and  the  billowing  canvas  rising 
above  the  dark  hull  looked  like  a  cloud  hanging  low  in 
the  sky.  It  was  almost  dead  calm,  and  the  Revenge 
swung  lazily  up  and  down,  with  her  steering  sails  dipping 
uselessly  in  the  water,  while  the  brig,  that  had  now  caught 
the  wind,  bore  down  nearer  and  nearer.  The  men  looked 
back  at  the  quarter-deck  with  frightened,  white  faces. 
All  the  good  fortune  that  had  so  far  followed  them  in 
the  cruise  had  apparently  deserted  them.  They  saw  vis- 
ions of  their  prize-money  disappearing,  and  many  of  the 
knowing  ones  could  imagine  the  crowded  harbor  of  Ports- 
mouth, with  the  big  seventy-four  lying  at  anchor,  while 
black,  faintly  struggling  objects  depended  from  her  yard- 
arms.  The  first  mate  and  Conyngham  had  not  exchanged 
a  word,  when  suddenly  the  former,  lifting  his  hand,  broke 
the  silence. 

''She's  coming,  captain;  by  tar,  she's  coming!"  he 
cried. 

The  big  foresail  of  the  Revenge  lifted  and  the  sheets 
and  outhauls  of  the  steering-sails  spattered  a  line  of  spray 
as  they  tautened  up  out  of  the  water.  But  it  seemed  al- 
most too  late  that  the  breeze  had  reached  them.  Broad 
off  the  starboard  bow  was  the  brig,  but  a  mile  and  a 
half  away,  while  little  more  than  twice  that  distance,  dead 
astern,  came  the  seventy-four,  a  roll  of  seething  white  play- 
ing under  her  forefoot  and  sweeping  out  on  either  side. 
Down  on  the  wind  came  the  ominous  rolling  of  a  drum. 

"  They're  beating  to  quarters,  sir,"  observed  the  mate; 
and  then  in  almost  semitragic  despair  he  muttered,  "  and 
they've  got  us  in  their  locker!  " 


ii2  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

But  the  Revenge  was  now  slipping  along  swiftly,  al- 
though she  had  not  yet  felt  the  full  force  of  the  follow- 
ing wind.  The  brig  had  set  a  little  answering  pennant 
to  a  new  string  of  signals  that  had  risen  to  the  mast- 
head of  the  seventy-four,  and  in  obedience,  although  at 
extreme  range,  she  began  firing  with  her  bow  guns,  the 
balls  plashing  harmlessly  in  the  water  a  few  hundred  yards 
away,  but  each  one  appearing  to  come  nearer  than  the 
last,  and  threatened  to  reach  the  Revenge  at  any  mo- 
ment. It  looked  black  indeed  for  the  little  cruiser.  Her 
actions  had  placed  her,  beyond  doubt,  in  the  minds  of 
her  pursuers  as  the  vessel  for  whose  capture  a  large 
reward  had  been  offered.  Subterfuge  was  useless.  She 
had  proclaimed  herself  as  much  as  if  she  had  flown  the 
cross-barred  flag  with  the  wriggling  rattlesnake  that,  bent 
to  the  color  halyards,  lay  on  deck  ready  to  have  risen 
and  to  have  been  tossed  to  the  wind. 

The  feeling  of  terror  that  was  spreading  through  the 
crew  seemed  to  unnerve  them.  A  French  sailor,  as  a 
shot  from  the  brig  came  closer  than  before,  fell  on  his 
knees  and  began  to  call  upon  the  saints.  Something  must 
be  done,  although  it  seemed  that  all  human  exertion  would 
be  futile,  for  even  now  the  line-of-battle  ship  had  opened 
up  with  her  two  forward  guns,  but,  like  her  smaller  con- 
sort, the  shots  fell  harmlessly  some  distance  off.  Now 
the  Revenge  had  caught  the  full  force  of  the  wind,  and 
every  sheet  was  taut  as  a  bar  of  iron.  The  spray  began 
to  fly  over  her  bows  as  she  dipped  and  rose  against  the 
crest  of  the  seas.  For  an  instant  it  appeared  as  if  she 
was  holding  her  own,  and  it  was  so,  as  far  as  the  brig 
was  concerned;  but  the  seventy-four  was  faster  than  her 
bulk  would  lead  one  to  suspect.     A  shot  came  skipping 


IN   THE   CHANNEL  113 

along  the  water,  jumping  from  wave  to  wave  until  it  sank 
almost  broad  off  the  beam  of  the  Revenge. 

"We  must  try  the  last  resort,  Mr.  Minott,"  said 
Conyngham  quietly;  "we  must  lighten  her." 

And  with  that  he  began  to  shout  orders  to  the  crew, 
all  of  whom  were  gathered  in  the  waist  talking  in  sub- 
dued voices,  with  much  shaking  of  heads  and  low  curses. 
As  if  relieved  at  having  something  to  do  and  at  hearing 
their  captain's  voice  ring  with  a  note  of  assurance,  they 
sprang  forward.  The  swivels  were  cast  over  the  side,  and 
one  after  another  the  broadside  guns  followed.  The  ef- 
fect was  immediately  perceptible;  the  Revenge  seemed  to 
lift  to  the  sea  instead  of  dipping  into  it.  And  now  the 
water  casks,  some  of  which  were  on  deck  just  abaft  the 
foremast,  were  broken  in  with  swift  blows  of  the  axes, 
and  the  scuppers  were  running  full  with  a  mixture  of 
salt  water  and  fresh.  The  shot  from  the  lockers  followed, 
and  both  anchors,  cut  away,  were  let  go  and  plashed  over- 
board. And  now,  inch  by  inch,  the  Revenge  drew  ahead. 
The  brig  had  fallen  back  until  she  was  almost  astern,  and 
had  ceased  firing,  but  the  seventy-four  maintained  her 
distance  and  continued,  by  an  increased  elevation  of  her 
bow-chasers,  in  an  endeavor  to  reach  her  quarry. 

It  was  approaching  dusk;  a  fine  red  sunset,  with  bars 
of  narrow  blue  clouds  against  the  glare,  glowed  in  the 
west;  a  still  narrower  and  darker  cloud  was  draped  down 
from  the  sky  above,  and  it  looked  for  all  the  world  like 
a  picture  on  a  grand  scale  of  the  Revenge's  cross-barred 
flag,  the  wriggling  snake  and  all.  Prompted  by  an  im- 
pulse, Conyngham  stepped  to  the  color  halyards,  and 
with  his  own  hands  hoisted  the  Revenge's  colors  to  the 
masthead. 


ii4  WITH   THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

As  if  angered  by  the  seeming  insult,  the  big  vessel 
swung  off  a  point  or  two  until,  port  after  port,  her  broad- 
side could  be  seen  being  brought  to  bear.  It  was  the 
very  thing  for  which  Conyngham  had  been  waiting.  By 
doing  so  she  lessened  her  speed  and  lost  perceptible 
headway. 

Every  nerve  was  tense  in  the  captain's  body  as  he 
stood  there  close  to  the  taffrail  waiting  for  the  coming 
discharge,  and  trusting  that  the  British  commander  had 
underestimated  the  distance  or  the  rate  of  the  Revenge's 
sailing.  The  brig  also  was  repeating  the  maneuver  and 
endeavoring  to  bring  her  broadside  also  into  play,  for  she 
and  the  seventy-four  were  now  sailing  almost  side  by 
side. 

All  at  once  it  came!  A  cloud  of  white  smoke  broke 
from  the  tall  sides  of  the  larger  vessel,  and  immediately 
the  thunderous  roar  of  her  main-deck  battery  followed. 
How  the  Revenge  escaped  was  more  than  any  one  on 
board  of  her  could  tell,  for  some  of  the  heavy  shot  passed 
over  her  and  crashed  into  the  crests  of  the  waves  some 
distance  in  her  path.  But  one  shot  reached  her,  and  that, 
striking  the  top  of  her  port  bulwarks,  sent  a  shower  of 
white  splinters  whirring  across  the  deck  and  then  glanced 
harmlessly  into  the  sea. 

The  brig,  that  had  yawed  wide,  immediately  followed 
suit,  and  just  here  the  strangest  thing  occurred.  Whether 
one  of  the  guns  that  she  had  been  firing  earlier  in  the  day 
had  not  been  re-aimed  or  whether  some  accident  in  the 
firing  took  place  has  never  been  ascertained;  perhaps  some 
impressed  seaman  gunner  who  had  been  taken  by  the 
press-gang  in  a  British  port  now  found  the  moment  to 
wreak  his  vengeance.     At  all  events,  a  shot  from  one  of 


IN   THE   CHANNEL  115 


the  brig's  broadside  guns  went  so  wide  of  the  mark  that 
it  caught  the  foretopmast  of  the  big  one  full  and  square 
just  above  the  hounds  and  brought  it,  with  a  tangle  of 
sails  and  rigging,  lurching  and  swinging  down  to  deck, 
where  the  wreckage  poised  for  a  minute  and  then,  swayed 
by  the  wind,  tangled  in  the  head-sails  and  brought  the 
vessel  almost  to  a  stop. 

The  chase  was  over!  The  Revenge  slipped  on  her 
way,  and  as  Conyngham  looked  back  he  could  see  his 
two  pursuers  shortening  sail. 

"  Somebody'll  swing  for  that,  Mr.  Minott,"  observed 
the  captain. 

"  And  somebody  would  have  swung  if  it  hadn't  hap- 
pened, sir,"  returned  the  mate,  giving  up  the  wheel,  which 
he  had  been  handling  himself,  to  the  now  grinning  helms- 
man. 

"  What  course,  sir?  "  asked  the  latter. 

"  Hold  as  you  are,"  Conyngham  answered.  "  We'll 
make  some  port  in  Spain." 

Two  days  later  the  Revenge  entered  the  harbor  of 
Corunna. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

ON   THE   IRISH   COAST 

A  very  peaceable  craft  indeed  the  Revenge  appeared 
to  be  as  she  lay  at  anchor  in  the  Spanish  harbor,  as  all 
evidence  of  her  real  character  had  disappeared.  But  of 
course  Captain  Conyngham  did  not  intend  long  to  live 
up  to  this  peaceable  appearance;  his  chief  concern  was 
to  procure  another  armament,  gather  his  crew  together, 
and,  nothing  daunted,  put  back  to  the  rich  cruising 
grounds.  It  was  his  settled  purpose  to  enter  the  Irish 
Channel  and  pick  up  some  of  the  fat  prizes  that  he  knew 
were  there  ripe  for  the  picking. 

He  had  been  forced  to  moor  the  Revenge  to  one  of 
the  naval  mooring-buoys  when  he  first  entered,  but  upon 
explaining  that  he  had  lost  both  anchors  during  a  stress 
of  bad  weather,  the  captain  of  the  port  had  allowed  him 
to  remain  until  he  could  procure  others. 

To  his  delight,  Conyngham  had  noticed  five  or  six  of 
his  prizes  lying  farther  up  the  harbor,  and  the  Revenge 
herself  had  been  recognized  by  some  of  the  prize-crews 
that  were  still  on  board  the  latest  captures. 

As  soon  as  possible  Conyngham  had  pulled  to  shore 
and  sought  out  the  agents  of  the  mysterious  mercantile 
house  of  Hortalez  and  Company.    At  the  offices  of  Signor 
Lazzonere,  whom  should  he  meet  but  the  elder  Ross! 
116 


ON    THE   IRISH   COAST  117 

Eager  and  warm  were  the  greetings.  Ross  had  so 
much  to  ask  and  so  much  to  tell  that  he  found  it  difficult 
to  begin. 

"  Upon  my  word,  captain,"  he  said  at  last,  "  could  I 
have  had  a  prayer  answered,  you  could  not  have  appeared 
at  a  more  opportune  moment.  There  is  the  old  Harry 
to  pay  in  France — upon  no  account  must  you  return 
there,  for " 

"  I  have  no  such  intention,"  was  Conyngham's  answer, 
interrupting.  "  Sure  our  friend  de  Vergennes  gave  me 
hint  enough  for  that.  I  shall,  if  I  can,  pick  up  some 
scrap  iron  here  and  something  to  throw  it  with,  go  back 
and  pay  the  old  country  a  fleeting  visit,  and  then  across 
the  wide  sea  to  America.  But  how  goes  it  with  all  our 
friends?  "  he  added. 

"  That  is  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you,"  replied  Ross. 
"  Poor  Hodge  is  in  the  Bastile,  and  my  brother  and  Allan 
are  confined  in  the  prison  at  Dunkirk." 

"  All  on  my  account?"  asked  Conyngham. 

"  On  our  joint  account.  Charge  it  to  the  Revenge," 
was  the  reply.  "  Hodge  and  Allan  went  on  your  bond, 
and  at  the  first  news  that  you  were  cruising  de  Ver- 
gennes remarked  that  '  it  was  a  bad  matter  to  lie  to  a 
king,'  which  he  claimed  they  both  had  done,  and  clapped 
them  into  prison." 

Conyngham  frowned  and  looked  puzzled. 

"  But,  upon  my  soul,  the  sheep  attacked  me  first,"  he 
said.     "  So  my  Lord  Stormont  has  yet  some  influence." 

"  But  never  fear,"  Ross  went  on.  "  Hodge  is  being 
treated  well;  and  as  for  my  brother,  he  dines  with  the 
commandant  every  evening.  Good  news  has  come  from 
America,  and  all  things  point  to  an  early  alliance  be- 


n8  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN   THE    CHANNEL 

tween  our  country  and  France.  And  now,"  he  added, 
"  tell  me  of  yourself,  and  what  do  you  mean  by  '  scrap 
iron'?" 

In  a  few  words  Conyngham  related  the  story  of  his 
narrow  escape  and  the  loss  of  his  guns,  and  the  necessary 
jettisoning  of  his  anchors  and  armament. 

"  We  will  arrange  for  all  that,"  was  Ross's  comforting 
comment  when  he  had  finished.  "  There  is  money  in  the 
treasury,  and  the  commissioners  are  well  satisfied.  There 
must  be  some  now  to  your  credit.  If  you  should  care 
for  an  accounting " 

"  Let  it  stand,"  replied  Conyngham.  "  I  desire  no 
more  than  is  customary  for  an  officer  in  the  regular  serv- 
ice— two  twentieths — and  will  wait  for  my  accounting 
until  the  business  is  finished.  By  the  Powers,  I  only  ask 
to  be  at  sea  again." 

"  The  very  person  to  help  us  out  is  Signor  Lazzonere," 
exclaimed  Ross.  "  Although  a  Frenchman,  he  has  strong 
connections  here  in  Spain,  and  there  is  neither  a  Stormont 
nor  a  de  Vergennes  to  be  dealt  with.  Money  can  do 
a  great  deal  when  backed  with  a  little  influence." 

The  conversation  was  here  interrupted  by  the  entrance 
of  the  merchant  himself,  and  all  then  adjourned  to  Signor 
Lazzonere's  inner  office. 

In  a  few  minutes  Conyngham  came  out,  a  smile  on 
his  lips  and  a  light  of  satisfaction  dancing  in  his  eyes. 

That  very  night  the  Revenge  was  warped  in  with  a 
small  kedge  and  moored  alongside  a  large  bark  that 
lay  close  inshore.  Under  cover  of  darkness  there  was 
transferred  to  the  cruiser  the  very  thing  that  her  captain 
most  wished  for — a  long  twelve-pounder.  It  was  hidden 
beneath  a  canvas  covering  in  such  a  way  that  its  shape 


ON   THE   IRISH   COAST  119 


took  on  the  innocent  appearance  of  a  pile  of  wine  casks, 
and  the  following  evening  work  was  again  resumed  and 
eight  six-pounders  and  ten  short  swivels  —  what  the 
French  called  demi-cannon — were  put  on  board.  By  the 
fourth  day  the  Revenge's  armament  was  practically  com- 
plete. In  fact,  she  was,  if  anything,  in  better  fighting  trim 
than  ever  before,  and  her  crew  was  again  recruited  to  its 
full  strength.  The  Spanish  authorities  had  paid  not  the 
least  attention  to  the  goings  on,  and  no  attempt  was  made 
to  prevent  her  sailing,  although  by  this  time  her  character 
must  have  been  known  to  every  longshoreman  in  the  port. 
Many  Englishmen  in  Corunna  were  in  high  dudgeon,  and 
as  usual  would  have  prevented  her  sailing  if  they  could. 
But  on  the  tenth  day  after  her  arrival,  at  noon  of  a 
Sunday,  she  made  sail  and  put  out  into  the  rolling  waters 
of  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  The  crew,  all  of  whom  had  been 
paid  part  of  their  prize-money,  looked  to  their  young 
captain  to  bring  them  safely  through  any  adventure  that 
might  be  in  store.  Before  the  cruiser  was  out  of  the 
bay  she  had  taken  two  prizes,  and  almost  at  the  very 
spot  where  she  had  made  her  sensational  escape  she  took 
a  third.  But  it  was  in  the  Irish  Channel  that  her  run  of 
luck  began.  No  less  than  twelve  richly  laden  craft  were 
despatched  to  Spanish  ports,  and  of  them  but  two  were 
recaptured.  Nearly  all  of  the  merchantmen  surrendered 
without  making  any  resistance,  either  completely  taken 
by  surprise  or,  not  being  prepared  for  fighting,  conclud- 
ing that  it  would  be  wiser  to  give  in  at  the  very  first 
summons. 

But  this  rather  inglorious  method  of  warfare  did  not 
altogether  suit  Captain  Conyngham's  adventurous  spirit, 
and  time  and  again  he  wished  for  a  brush  with  one  of 


120  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

the  king's  cutters  before  his  crew  and  his  stores  were 
depleted  by  the  manning  of  so  many  prizes.  As  yet  he 
had  found  no  occasion  to  use  the  long  twelve-pounder. 
But  the  opportunity  was  soon  to  come,  and  the  way  it 
happened  was  this: 

The  Revenge  was  running  short  of  water,  and  owing 
to  the  necessity  of  dividing  her  stores  with  some  of  the 
coasters  that  were  provisioned  for  voyages  of  only  one 
or  two  days'  duration,  the  crew  was  at  last  forced  to 
accept  half  rations,  and  sailors  will  grumble  quicker  at 
this  than  at  any  form  of  dangerous  hardship. 

Once,  forced  by  a  hard  blow,  Conyngham  had  boldly 
made  into  the  mouth  of  the  English  harbor  of  Raven- 
glass,  in  Lancashire,  where  of  course  he  dared  not  go 
ashore,  and  owing  to  the  presence  of  a  British  thirty-four- 
gun  frigate  he  could  not  cut  out  any  of  the  numerous 
fleet  of  merchant  vessels  by  which  he  was  surrounded. 
When  the  storm  was  over  he  sailed  out  of  the  harbor  as 
boldly  as  he  had  entered  it,  and  none  of  the  English  fleet 
imagined  that  the  natty  little  craft  that  dropped  anchor 
among  them  was  the  dreaded  Yankee  "  pirate." 

But  now  to  the  adventure:  The  supply  of  water  was 
growing  less  and  less.  It  became  an  absolute  necessity 
to  fill  the  casks  in  some  fashion,  and  also  to  procure  some 
fresh  provisions,  for  scurvy,  the  dreaded  enemy  of  sailors 
of  that  day,  had  begun  to  appear — at  least  there  were 
signs  of  it,  and  the  crew  were  grumbling  louder  than 
ever.  So  Conyngham  bethought  him  of  his  promise  to 
pay  a  visit  to  the  land  of  his  birth;  and  after  skirting  the 
Isle  of  Man  in  a  fruitless  search  for  a  safe  landing-place 
or  a  well-provisioned  prize,  he  crossed  the  Channel  and 
entered  the  harbor  of  a  little  Irish  fishing  port  (the  name 


ON   THE   IRISH   COAST  121 

of  which  he  fails  to  record  in  his  log)  about  twenty  miles 
or  so  to  the  north  of  the  town  and  harbor  of  Wicklow. 

Probably  the  fisher  folk  were  simple  and  unsuspicious; 
mayhap  they  did  not  care  to  inquire  closely  into  the  mis- 
sion of  a  polite  fellow  countryman  who  claimed  to  be  a 
peaceable  merchantman,  for  here  Conyngham  allowed  his 
original  nationality  to  be  unmistakably  plain  if  he  did 
conceal  his  calling;  or  maybe  it  was  the  sight  of  the  Span- 
ish gold  with  which  he  paid  for  everything  that  blinded 
them;  but  they  were  eager  and  willing  to  help  him  to  the 
things  he  wanted;  and  as  many  hands  make  light  work, 
twelve  hours  sufficed  to  fill  his  casks  with  fresh  water  and 
his  forehold  with  potatoes — the  best  cure  for  scurvy. 
Stores  of  various  kinds  to  replace  those  he  had  sent  to 
Spain  were  also  taken  on  board. 

It  was  a  misty,  foggy  day,  with  very  little  wind.  The 
red  evening  sun  could  not  pierce  the  thick  clouds,  and 
the  falling  barometer  proved  that  heavy  weather  might 
be  expected.  Conyngham  was  anxious  to  be  off.  He 
did  not  relish  being  kept  longer  in  port  than  was  neces- 
sary; for,  although  he  had  seen  that  no  vessel,  even  of 
small  size,  had  sailed  out  the  harbor,  he  could  not  tell 
but  that  some  suspicious  person  had  traveled  overland 
to  Wicklow  bearing  the  news  that  the  dreaded  Revenge 
was  lying  in  the  harbor.  So,  just  before  darkness  set  in, 
he  bade  good-by  to  his  friendly  countrymen,  and  get- 
ting up  his  anchor  drifted  out  with  the  tide  toward  the 
Channel. 

There  was  a  steep  headland  to  the  south,  and  just  as 

the  Revenge  was  rounding  it  a  vessel  came  into  full  view 

that,  from  her  appearance,  could  be  none  other  than  a 

British  cutter.     There  was  hardly  enough  wind  to  fill  her 

9 


122  WITH    THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

sails,  and  like  the  Revenge  she  was  drifting  slowly  with 
the  tide. 

It  would  be  hard  to  conjecture  what  it  was  that  caused 
her  captain  to  be  suspicious,  but  immediately  upon  sight- 
ing Conyngham's  vessel  two  boats  were  lowered  from  the 
cutter's  side  and  filled  with  armed  men.  They  pulled  out 
as  if  to  intercept  him.  There  were  altogether  in  the  Re- 
venge's crew  at  this  time  but  some  thirty  men  left,  but 
at  once  the  long  twelve  was  cast  loose  and  the  short 
broadside  guns  were  double-shotted.  Before  the  boats 
had  traversed  half  the  distance  they  were  stopped  by  a 
challenging  shot  from  the  twelve-pounder,  and  with  all 
haste  they  made  back  to  their  vessel.  Although  she  was 
evidently  of  heavier  metal,  had  Conyngham  had  his  full 
complement  of  men  he  would  not  have  shrunk  from  en- 
gaging her,  but  under  the  circumstances,  as  he  had  once 
remarked  before,  "  discretion  was  the  better  part  of 
valor,"  and  at  long  range  a  drifting  fight  began. 

If  the  people  of  the  little  fishing  port  had  been  at  all 
in  doubt  as  to  who  their  visitor  was,  all  such  uncertainty 
was  put  at  rest  by  the  appearance  the  next  morning  of 
the  cutter  with  her  jib-boom  and  topsail-yard  shot  away 
and  three  shot  holes  in  her  hull,  one  at  the  water-line 
that  necessitated  immediate  attending  to. 

The  Revenge  had  escaped  all  injury  except  to  her 
larder,  a  chance  shot  having  entered  at  her  cabin  win- 
dow and  completely  spoiled  the  captain's  dinner;  thence 
glancing  into  the  galley,  it  broached  a  barrel  of  fine  salt 
pork,  and  ended  by  lodging  in  one  of  the  deck  beams. 

The  cruise  had  ended  in  an  adventure  at  last,  although 
a  rather  tame  one,  and,  satisfied  with  results,  Captain 
Conyngham  determined  to  set  sail  for  America. 


ON   THE   IRISH   COAST  123 


Another  prize  was  added  to  his  list  before  he  was  quite 
free  of  the  Channel,  and  this  was  ordered  to  meet  him 
at  a  port  in  the  Spanish  West  Indies,  toward  which  he 
now  laid  his  course,  as  he  deemed  it  much  wiser  to  ascer- 
tain how  matters  stood  in  America  before  making  for  any 
home  port,  which,  for  all  he  knew,  might  be  in  possession 
of  the  enemy. 

He  was  satisfied  with  the  work  that  he  had  accom- 
plished, and  well  he  might  be.  Perhaps  the  result  of  his 
cruises  had  been  exaggerated,  but  he  had  prevented  the 
sailing  of  two  loaded  transports,  and  from  the  very  fear 
of  his  name  over  forty  sail  of  vessels  of  all  kinds,  to  quote 
from  a  contemporaneous  account,  "  lay  at  anchor  cooped 
up  in  the  Thames." 

As  Silas  Deane  wrote  to  Robert  Morris  and  to 
the  home  Government,  "  His  name  has  become  more 
dreaded  than  that  of  the  great  Thurot,  and  merchants 
are  constrained  to  ship  their  cargoes  in  French  or  Dutch 
vessels." 

Not  a  guard-ship  on  the  coast  but  had  received  spe- 
cific orders  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  him,  and  yet  he  had 
cruised  in  the  English  and  Irish  Channels  for  month  after 
month.  Another  fact  that  he  regarded  with  satisfaction 
was  that  he  had  accomplished  all  this  not  merely  as  a 
privateersman,  but  as  a  regularly  commissioned  officer 
in  the  navy  of  his  country.  The  prize-money  due  him  as 
such,  now  amounting  to  a  large  sum,  he  regarded  as  safe 
in  the  hands  of  the  commissioners. 

After  reaching  the  West  Indies,  where  he  spent  some 
time,  he  learned  from  the  American  consul  of  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs  at  home,  and  after  waiting  for  the  arrival 
of  the  latest  prize  he  set  sail  for  Philadelphia.     The  one 


i24  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

thing  that  he  regretted  was  the  fact  that  he  did  not  have 
in  his  possession  the  commission  signed  by  John  Han- 
cock, then  president  of  Congress,  and  given  to  him  by 
Franklin  in  Paris,  but  he  did  not  doubt  that  the  good 
doctor  had  it  in  his  possession  and  would  produce  it  at 
the  proper  time.  Without  mishap,  the  Revenge  sailed 
up  the  coast,  slipped  by  the  British  guard-ships  off  the 
capes  of  Delaware,  and  early  in  February,  1779,  Con- 
yngham  was  home  at  last! 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE   CAPTURE 

Of  all  the  surprised  people  in  Philadelphia,  James 
Nesbit  was  the  most  astonished  when  into  his  office 
walked  the  young  seaman  who  almost  four  years  before 
had  left  in  command  of  the  Charming  Peggy.  The  fame 
of  his  doings  of  course  had  reached  America,  and  Mr. 
Nesbit's  brother  had  written  at  some  length  of  Conyng- 
ham's  career  in  the  Surprise,  his  subsequent  arrest,  and 
mysterious  release;  but  it  was  not  until  he  had  spent  a 
long  afternoon  in  the  coffee-room  of  the  little  inn  around 
the  corner,  and  had  listened  to  the  captain's  modest  and 
half-humorous  account  of  his  doings,  that  he  understood 
what  had  happened  in  France;  and  he  followed  with 
breathless  interest  the  career  of  the  two  little  vessels  that 
had  flown  the  flag  in  the  Channel. 

When  Conyngham  had  finished  at  last,  Mr.  Nesbit, 
who  had  not  allowed  himself  to  interrupt  the  recital  by 
even  so  much  as  a  question,  propounded  his  first  interro- 
gation. 

"  And  what  do  you  intend  to  do  now,  Brother  Con- 
yngham? "  he  said.  "Of  course  you  do  not  mean  to 
rest  idle  upon  either  your  oars  or  your  laurels." 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  wait  orders  from  the  Naval 
Committee,"  was  the  reply.     "  As  an  officer  in  the  regu- 

125 


126  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

lar  service,  I  have  already  reported  my  arrival  and  asked 
for  an  audience  on  the  morrow.  I  hope,"  he  added,  "  they 
will  see  fit  to  make  use  of  my  services." 

"  There  is  little  hope  of  finding  them  in  a  mood  to 
adopt  any  proposition  of  an  aggressive  nature,"  returned 
Mr.  Nesbit  ponderously,  "  and  there  are  few  commands 
lying  idle.  It  is  as  much  as  Congress  can  do  to  keep  our 
army  supplied  with  clothing,  food,  and  ammunition.  The 
fleet  under  Admiral  Hopkins  did  not  meet  with  any  sig- 
nal success.     England  is  too  strong  for  us  on  the  sea." 

Conyngham  shrugged  his  shoulders.  There  probably 
came  to  his  mind  the  months  during  which  in  one  little 
vessel  he  had  dared  the  strength  of  the  English  fleets  in 
their  home  waters.  But  he  said  nothing,  and  waited  for 
Mr.  Nesbit  to  continue. 

"  You  are  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  vessel  which  you 
have  commanded,  Captain  Conyngham?  "  the  latter  asked. 

"  Perfectly,  so  far  as  she  goes,"  was  the  reply.  "  But 
I  have  it  in  my  mind  that  I  should  like  to  command  a 
larger.  Sure,  if  you  know  of  any  loose  seventy-fours  want- 
ing a  skipper,  you  might  put  in  a  word  for  me.  In  case 
there  is  nothing  better,  I  mean  to  apply  for  the  command 
of  the  Revenge  again." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  that  they  will  do  with  her?  " 
asked  Mr.  Nesbit;  and  then,  as  if  answering  his  own  ques- 
tion, he  went  on,  "  Sell  her,  I  suppose.  They  are  in  more 
need  of  money  than  of  ships." 

As  he  finished  speaking  he  leaned  forward  and  placed 
his  hand  on  Conyngham's  arm. 

"  If  they  do,"  he  raid,  "  I  may  have  a  proposition  to 
make  to  you.  Why  not  let  us  buy  her  in?  You  could 
sail  her  under  a  letter  of  marque  in  joint  ownership,  and 


THE   CAPTURE  127 


you  must  have  a  good  sum  of  money  to  your  credit.  See 
what  the  privateersmen  of  this  port  and  that  of  Baltimore 
have  accomplished.  They  have  practically  already  swept 
British  commerce  from  the  seas." 

"  I  would  much  sooner,"  replied  Conyngham,  "  accept 
a  regular  command;  but  rather  than  remain  idle,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  I  would  accept  your  proposition.  It  depends 
entirely  upon  Congress." 

"  Your  commission  would,  of  course,  stand  you  in 
good  stead,"  remarked  Mr.  Nesbit,  "  and  a  letter  of 
marque  could  easily  be  obtained  in  addition." 

As  Conyngham  had  not  as  yet  joined  his  family,  that 
had  moved  out  to  Germantown,  he  was  evidently  anxious 
to  be  away,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  parted  company  with 
Mr.  Nesbit,  promising  to  meet  him  again  on  the  morrow. 

It  was  much  to  his  surprise  that  he  found  himself  quite 
a  hero  among  his  friends  and  acquaintances,  but,  strange 
to  say,  Mr.  Hewes,  of  the  Naval  Committee,  to  whom 
he  reported,  had  heard  nothing  official  in  regard  to  him 
from  either  Dr.  Franklin  or  Silas  Deane,  and  his  name 
had  not  as  yet  been  placed  on  the  naval  list. 

All  this,  of  course,  caused  him  more  chagrin  than  un- 
easiness. He  claimed  that  the  Revenge  was  subject  to  the 
orders  of  the  Naval  Committee,  and  gained  a  point  at  last 
in  that  they  accepted  her  as  public  property,  and  as  such 
she  was  almost  immediately  offered  for  sale  at  auction. 
"  Conyngham,  Nesbit  and  Company  "  bought  her  in,  one 
third  being  credited  to  Gustavus,  to  whom  Mr.  Nesbit 
and  his  cousin  advanced  the  money. 

So  the  further  fortunes  of  the  young  captain  were 
still  bound  up  in  the  Revenge.  Unfortunately,  however, 
there  were  some  enemies  of  his  at  work.    Whether  it  wTas 


128  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

the  tory  lawyer  whose  designs  he  had  thwarted  in  re- 
gard to  his  first  command  (by  the  way,  he  was  now  a 
most  pronounced  believer  in  the  cause  of  liberty),  or 
whether  it  was  a  discharged  surgeon's  mate  who  had 
lodged  complaints  against  him,  Conyngham  never  found 
out.  But  suffice  it,  some  one  was  working  against  him, 
and  the  letter  of  marque — the  authority  to  "  cruise,  cap- 
ture, and  destroy  " — was  withheld  by  the  Naval  Com- 
mittee and  Congress.  Perhaps  they  were  waiting  until 
they  could  secure  some  substantiation  of  his  claim  in  re- 
gard to  his  commission — it  may  have  been  that;  but,  at 
all  events,  the  delay  grew  more  and  more  irksome  to  him 
and  to  his  partner  in  the  enterprise. 

Good  seamen  were  difficult  to  find  idle  in  American 
ports;  the  few  ships  of  the  navy  had  hard  work  in  recruit- 
ing their  complement;  almost  every  one  who  followed  the 
sea  for  a  living  was  already  off  privateering,  and  the  Re- 
venge was  forced  to  complete  her  crew  out  of  the  riffraff 
of  the  docks,  supplemented  by  numerous  landsmen  who, 
attracted  by  the  rich  rewards  offered,  dodged  service  in 
the  army  and  flocked  to  the  seaports.  Out  of  the  crew  of 
one  hundred  men  that  Conyngham  had  hastily  gathered 
together,  only  twenty-two  had  seen  service  on  deep  water, 
and  more  than  half  of  these  were  men  who  had  served  with 
him  in  the  Channel  cruise.  Owing  to  the  delay  in  sailing, 
the  Revenge's  people  were  almost  in  a  state  of  mutiny, 
and  for  three  weeks  nothing  but  the  young  captain's  pres- 
ence on  board  his  vessel  prevented  wholesale  desertions. 
One  day  there  came  a  notice  from  Mr.  Nesbit — the  Re- 
venge was  anchored  out  in  the  river — informing  him  that 
the  letter  of  marque  was  likely  to  be  refused,  and  in- 
timating that  probably  the  Naval  Committee  would  re- 


THE   CAPTURE  129 


quire  his  presence  on  shore,  to  be  placed  on  waiting 
orders. 

This  was  too  much  for  Conyngham's  gallant  spirit. 
The  prospect  of  months  of  inaction  galled  him,  and  he 
replied  that  if  he  left  his  vessel  the  greater  part  of 
the  crew  would  desert  and  the  whole  adventure  be  a 
failure. 

It  was  while  he  was  writing  this  in  a  note  to  be  taken 
ashore  to  his  partners  that  he  remembered  that  the  second 
commission,  given  him  by  Mr.  Hodge  in  Dunkirk,  was 
still  in  his  possession.  It  had  never  been  rescinded,  and 
the  vessel  he  commanded  was  the  same!  It  was  surely 
authority  enough.  Without  hesitation  he  added  a  post- 
script— "  Am  sailing  with  the  flood-tide  in  half  an  hour  " 
— and  sent  the  note  off  to  Mr.  Nesbit.  So  the  deciding 
die  was  cast,  and  at  the  top  of  the  flood  the  Revenge 
made  out  into  the  midstream  and  floated  into  the  lower 
bay.  The  green  crew,  glad  to  be  off,  burst  into  a  ragged 
cheer.  Had  they  known  what  was  before  them  they 
would  not  have  felt  so  much  like  rejoicing. 

It  did  not  take  the  captain  long  to  find  out  that  his 
crew  of  farmhands  and  dock-rats  was  vastly  different  from 
the  able  lot  of  seamen  that  had  contributed  so  much  to 
the  previous  success  of  the  Revenge.  Before  they  were 
half-way  to  the  capes  a  few  had  broken  into  the  storeroom 
and  a  dozen  were  too  drunk  to  pull  a  rope.  The  captain 
and  the  mate  had  their  hands  full,  and  the  obstreperous 
ones  were  double-ironed  and  placed  in  the  hold,  to  get 
sober  at  their  leisure. 

There  was  time  found  for  one  or  two  drills  at  the 
guns  before  the  cruiser  was  out  in  the  Atlantic,  and  here, 
as  might  haye  been  expected,  half  of  the  crew  were  sea- 


i3o  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE    CHANNEL 

sick  and  almost  incapacitated  from  duty.  Off  the  New 
Jersey  coast,  as  the  Revenge  proceeded  northward,  she 
ran  into  thick  and  stormy  weather.  On  the  third  day, 
the  26th  of  April,  while  the  wind  went  down  the  fog  in- 
creased, and  when  it  cleared  away  at  last  the  captain 
found  himself  some  ten  miles  south  of  Sandy  Hook. 
Dead  ahead  were  two  small  square-rigged  vessels  that 
had  the  look  of  English  transports  or  supply  ships,  and 
Conyngham  made  all  sail  in  chase. 

This  was  the  year  1779 — a  dreary  one  for  the  strug- 
gling colonies.  New  York  city  was  in  possession  of  the 
English  troops  under  Lord  Howe,  and  the  Revenge  was 
in  dangerous  waters;  but  the  captain  was  in  a  reckless 
mood,  and  boldness  having  served  his  purpose  so  well  at 
various  times,  he  disdained  his  old  adage  about  "  discre- 
tion," and  pressed  ahead.  Once  more  the  fog  closed 
down,  the  wind  died  completely  away,  and  as  night  came 
on  the  Revenge  drifted  slowly  along  on  the  round,  oily 
seas,  her  prow  turning  first  this  way  and  then  that.  All 
night  she  swung  about,  when,  early  in  the  morning,  a 
slight  wind  sprang  up  that  Conyngham  took  advantage 
of  to  work  off  shore.  But  it  held  only  for  an  hour  or  so, 
and  fell  calm  again.  The  fog  was  thicker  than  ever  at 
daybreak — one  of  those  opaque  white  mists  that  the  sun 
finds  it  impossible  to  penetrate,  and  seems  to  give  up 
trying  in  despair. 

The  captain  had  been  on  deck  all  night,  and,  tired 
out,  was  lying  on  the  cabin  transom  half  asleep  when 
suddenly  he  was  awakened  by  the  shrilling  of  a  boat- 
swain's pipe,  so  close  that  it  seemed  to  come  from  his 
own  forecastle.  Then,  as  if  it  were  the  signal  for  the 
lifting  of  the  misty  shroud,  the  fog  broke  and  there  lay 


THE   CAPTURE  131 


the  Revenge  under  the  stern  of  a  huge  seventy-four. 
Under  her  gallery  there  could  be  read  plainly  the  word 
"  Galatea." 

It  was  all  up!  Even  with  the  stifrest  and  most  favor- 
able wind,  the  little  cruiser  could  not  have  escaped;  she 
would  have  been  blown  out  of  the  water  before  she  had 
gone  a  cable's  length. 

There  was  nothing  to  do.  In  two  minutes  two  boat- 
loads of  armed  sailors  and  marines  had  put  off  from  the 
big  vessel,  and  soon  they  clambered  unmolested  over  the 
Revenge's  bulwarks. 

"  Who  commands  this  vessel?  "  asked  a  red-faced  lieu- 
tenant. 

"  I  have  the  honor,"  replied  Conyngham,  giving  his 

name. 

The  lieutenant  whistled. 

"Conyngham!"  he  exclaimed.  "  Are  you  the  pirate 
who  sailed  out  of  Dunkirk?  " 

"  I  am  an  officer  in  the  navy  of  the  United  Colonies," 
was  Conyngham's  reply,  "  and  will  answer  further  ques- 
tions to  your  superior  officer." 

"  That  you  will  do  at  once,"  sneered  the  lieutenant, 
and  he  gave  orders  for  Conyngham  to  enter  one  of  the 
boats.  Much  elated,  he  rowed  off  with  his  prisoner  to 
the  seventy-four. 

On  his  way  Conyngham  learned  that  his  captor  was 
Captain  Jordan,  whose  commodore  was  Sir  George  Col- 
lier, and  his  heart  sank,  for  he  knew  that  the  latter 
had  a  reputation  for  being  a  man  of  a  cruel  and  vin- 
dictive temper.  The  Galatea  was  the  very  vessel  from 
which  the  Revenge  had  escaped  off  Land's  End  on  that 
memorable  afternoon  when  the  cross-barred  flag  had  ap- 


132  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 


peared  in  the  sky.  He  felt  that  he  could  expect  small 
favors  under  the  circumstances,  but  his  chief  concern  was 
for  his  crew.  Poor  fellows!  Some  had  not  even  recov- 
ered from  their  sea-sickness.  Now  more  than  ever  he 
longed  for  his  missing  regular  commission.  But  one  thing 
rejoiced  him — war  was  now  on  between  France  and  Eng- 
land. Stormont  had  packed  up  his  belongings  for  the 
last  time. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

IMPRISONMENT 

It  would  take  another  book  to  describe  the  immediate 
and  subsequent  adventures  and  misadventures  of  Captain 
Conyngham  in  prison,  for  the  next  few  months  of  his  life 
were  passed  in  such  close  confinement  that  it  seems  almost 
incredible  that  any  human  being  could  have  survived  it. 
He  kept  a  diary  during  this  period  that  is  merely  a  recital 
of  his  sufferings,  and  yet  we  can  not  pass  them  over  in 
silence,  but  must  outline  what  happened  from  the  day  of 
his  capture  to  the  day  of  his  first  attempted  escape,  an 
escape  that  led  only  to  recapture  and  worse  treatment, 
if  possible,  than  before. 

But  we  are  anticipating.  As  soon  as  Captain  Jordan 
learned  who  his  prisoner  was  he  was  much  elated,  but 
Conyngham's  own  journal  gives  an  account  of  these  try- 
ing days  in  the  following  picturesque  language: 

"  On  first  going  aboard  the  ship  I  was  abused  by  a 
Mr.  Cooper,  who  acted  as  first  lieutenant  and  took  my 
commission. .  He  sent  every  one,  without  exception,  to  the 
hold.  After  some  time  a  message  came  for  '  Captain  Con- 
yngham,' and  I  was  introduced  in  the  gun-room  to  the 
purser  of  the  ship,  Mr.  Thomas,  surgeon  of  the  ship,  and 
Mr.  Murray,  master.  After  some  little  time  Mr.  Cooper, 
the  lieutenant,  makes  his  appearance.     I  find  his  behavior 

133 


i34  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE    CHANNEL 

different  from  what  I  had  reason  to  expect,  and  I  am 
made  to  understand  it  is  the  captain's  orders  to  be  treated 
well  and  granted  the  liberty  of  his  quarter-deck.  The 
officers  and  men  still  in  the  hold.  Very  disagreeable, 
so  warm.  The  following  day,  Mr.  Wain,  my  first  lieu- 
tenant; Mr.  Heyman,  second  lieutenant;  Mr.  Lewis,  cap- 
tain of  marines;  Mr.  Downey,  master,  relieved  from  the 
hold  and  given  liberty  of  the  lower  decks.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, a  prize-master,  ordered  into  irons. 

"  Upon  our  arrival  in  New  York,  Mr.  Wain  was  sent 
on  board  the  flagship  to  see  the  Commodore,  Sir  George 
Collier.  Mr.  Wain  told  me  on  his  return  that  he  was 
solicited  to  enter  on  board  the  ship.  What  an  honor, 
to  walk  his  Majesty's  quarter-deck!  Mr.  Wain  declared 
he  would  not,  that  he  was  a  prisoner.  The  answer 
was  made,  '  You  shall  go,  then,  to  England  with  Mr. 
Conyngham,'  and  he  was  dismissed.  I  soon  learned  by 
Mr.  Cooper  that  my  people  were  to  be  distributed  among 
the  men-of-war.  Boats  came  alongside  with  officers  for 
the  prisoners.  One  officer  in  particular,  by  his  appear- 
ance a  lieutenant,  an  Irishman,  addressed  me  in  these 
words:  '  So,  Mr.  Conyngham,  you  have  prospered  long 
and  in  different  stages?  '  I  answered  him,  '  Not  so  many 
or  so  long.'    After  some  hesitation  he  walked  off. 

"  The  crew  and  officers  were  sent  on  board  different 
men-of-war,  as  I  understood,  after  many  threatenings  to 
get  them  to  enter  the  English  service.  Most  of  them 
were  sent  on  board  the  prison  ship  with  the  officers.  After 
being  in  the  East  River,  I  was  detained  on  board  the 
Galatea  myself,  with  one  leg  in  irons.  I  petitioned  Cap- 
tain Read  to  alter  my  situation,  asking  if  possible  to  be 
put  along  with  other  American  prisoners.    In  a  short  time 


IMPRISONMENT  135 


I  was  sent  to  the  provost  prison  with  officers  and  guard 
of  marines.  Upon  application  he  conducted  me  to  the 
condemned  room,  where  was  one  person  that  was  in  on 
suspicion  of  being  concerned  in  theft,  another  supposed 
to  be  a  spy.  It  was  a  dismal  prospect.  At  six  in  the 
evening  the  provost  master,  a  Mr.  Cunningham,  came 
to  see  me.  I  begged  to  know  the  reason  of  such  usage. 
He  said  his  order  was  to  put  me  in  the  strongest  room, 
without  the  least  morsel  of  bread  from  the  jailer;  water 
I  had  given  to  me.  The  Continental  prisoners  found  a 
method  through  the  keyhole  of  the  door  to  convey  me 
some  necessaries  of  life,  although  a  second  door  ob- 
structed the  getting  in  of  very  much. 

"  At  the  end  of  the  week  I  was  let  out  of  this  room 
and  introduced  into  the  Congress  room  by  Mr.  Cunning- 
ham.    I  was  then  given  the  liberty  of  the  prison. 

"  On  the  17th  of  June  a  deputy  sergeant,  a  Mr.  Gluby, 
desired  I  should  get  ready  to  go  on  board  the  prison 
ship.  After  some  little  time  Mr.  Lang  came  to  the  door, 
called  to  me,  and  I  took  my  leave  of  my  fellow  prisoners. 
Went  down  stairs,  and  was  conveyed  to  another  private 
apartment.  There  a  large  heavy  iron  was  brought  with 
two  large  links,  and  ring  welded  on.  I  was  linked  to  the 
jail  door,  and  when  released  found  it  almost  impossible 
to  walk.  Got  into  a  cart  that  was  provided  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  led  to  waterside  by  the  hangman.  Then  I  was 
taken  in  a  boat  alongside  of  the  Commodore  Sir  George 
Collier,  his  ship  being  the  Raisonable.  There  I  was  shown 
an  order  to  take  me  on  board  the  packet  in  irons,  signed 
'  Jones.'  Up  to  this  time  I  was  made  to  believe  I  was 
going  on  board  the  prison  ship." 

So  it  was  evident   to   Conyngham  that   the   English 


136  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN   THE    CHANNEL 

were  about  to  redeem,  if  possible,  their  threat  of  seeing 
him  dance  at  the  yard-arm,  and  that  he  was  going  to  be 
taken  to  England  for  trial.  On  the  20th  of  June  he  sailed 
in  the  packet  under  the  convoy  of  the  Camilla,  and,  still 
in  irons  and  in  close  confinement,  he  applied  to  the  cap- 
tain to  have  the  links  taken  off  his  legs  and  arms.  After 
some  time  this  was  done,  and  he  was  allowed  a  half  an 
hour  a  day  on  deck  to  get  the  air. 

On  the  7th  of  July  the  packet  arrived  in  Falmouth 
harbor  and  the  prisoners  were  taken  off  in  the  press  boats. 
A  Captain  Bult  came  on  board  and  read  an  order  from 
Sir  George  Collier,  the  purport  of  which  was  that  Con- 
yngham  should  be  put  in  close  confinement  in  Pendennis 
Castle  until  the  wishes  of  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty 
were  known. 

On  his  way  to  the  castle  he  was  gazed  upon  by 
the  large  crowds  that  had  collected,  as  it  had  become 
noised  about  that  "  Conyngham  the  pirate "  had  been 
taken. 

It  was  evident  that  the  authorities  wished  to  prove 
that  Conyngham  was  still  a  subject  of  King  George,  for 
many  times  men  were  brought  to  see  him  in  an  attempt 
to  identify  him.  On  one  occasion  a  woman  was  admitted 
to  see  him,  so  he  records  in  his  diary,  who  promised  that 
he  would  be  released  if  he  acknowledged  that  he  was  her 
husband.  Of  course  he  indignantly  repudiated  such  a 
trick,  and  discovered  subsequently  that  her  husband  was 
a  man  who  some  years  before  had  been  accused  of  murder 
and  had  escaped  out  of  the  country. 

Every  night  poor  Conyngham  was  put  in  irons,  and 
his  diary  is  but  a  record  of  hardships  and  suffering.  Curi- 
ous people  came  in  day  after  day  to  gaze  at  the  prisoner, 


IMPRISONMENT  i37 


and  yet  there  was  no  prospect  of  his  being  brought  to 
trial. 

On  the  23d  of  July  we  find  an  entry  as  follows: 
"  A  sailor  declared  in  Falmouth  before  different  peo- 
ple that  he  could  take  his  oath  that  I  was  with  Captain 
Jones  when  he  threatened  to  set  White  Haven  on  fire. 
This  was  told  me  by  Sergeant  Williams  of  the  guard,  and 
this  day  the  irons  on  my  hands  were  beat  close  to  my 
wrists." 

On  the  24th  of  the  month  Conyngham  was  moved 
from  the  castle  to  the  celebrated  Mill  prison.  For  the  first 
time  the  irons  were  taken  off  when  he  was  placed  aboard 
the  vessel  that  was  to  convey  him  to  Plymouth,  where 
immediately  he  was  transferred  to  Mill  prison.  For  a  few 
days  he  was  confined  in  what  was  known  as  the  "  Black 
Hole,"  an  underground  dungeon  without  either  light  or 
air.  It  was  not  until  the  7th  of  August  that  he  was 
brought  out  for  a  preliminary  trial,  and  then  he  was  com- 
mitted again  to  the  prison  by  the  justices  of  the  peace, 
on  the  charge  of  high  treason. 

All  this  time  Conyngham  was  planning  to  escape. 
Not  an  opportunity  went  by  that  he  did  not  seize  upon 
to  extend  his  plans.  After  his  being  remanded  on  the 
high-treason  charge,  strange  to  say,  his  treatment  im- 
proved and  he  was  allowed  the  liberty  of  the  jail-yard, 
and  found  opportunity  on  one  or  two  occasions  to  con- 
verse with  some  of  his  fellow  prisoners.  Many  of  them 
were  Frenchmen,  who  had  been  taken  in  the  actions  with 
the  French  fleet.  On  one  occasion  a  battle  was  fought 
within  hearing  of  Plymouth,  and  the  soldiers  and  inhab- 
itants, fearing  that  the  French  were  going  to  attempt  to 
land,  began  to  throw  up  earthworks  and  entrenchments 


138  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

along  the  water  front.  Among  the  prisoners  that  were 
brought  in  was  a  Frenchman  who  had  served  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  surgeon  on  one  of  the  captured  vessels.  He 
was  a  man  of  education,  and  his  clothes  were  of  a  better 
character  and  texture  than  those  of  the  other  prisoners, 
who  were  mostly  common  seamen.  He  spoke  no  English, 
however,  and  Conyngham  had  to  talk  with  him  in  French. 
Now  it  happened  that  the  prison  doctor,  who  made  his 
round  of  visits  every  day,  was  a  short,  slight  man,  some- 
thing of  the  young  captain's  general  build  and  appear- 
ance. The  clothes  he  wore  were  black,  and  he  usually 
carried  a  book  under  his  arm  in  which  he  kept  a  record 
of  his  patients  and  their  condition.  It  suggested  itself 
to  Conyngham  that  it  might  be  easy  for  the  Frenchman 
so  to  disguise  himself  that  he  might  be  taken  for  the 
doctor,  and  by  walking  out  boldly  past  the  sentries  in  the 
evening  gain  the  outside  of  the  prison  walls  and  conceal 
himself  in  the  town. 

"  All  you  need,"  Conyngham  observed,  speaking  in 
French,  "  is  a  pair  of  huge  horn  spectacles,  pull  your  hat 
well  down  over  your  eyes,  and  walk  out  of  the  door.  I've 
studied  the  doctor's  gait — he  walks  like  this " 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Conyngham  gave  a 
very  good  imitation  of  the  English  doctor's  mincing  step. 
The  Frenchman  laughed. 

"My  faith!"  he  exclaimed,  "it  is  it  to  the  life!  I 
have  observed  him.  But  remember  this,  my  friend;  I 
speak  no  English  and  would  be  helpless;  they  would  dis- 
cover me  at  once." 

A  day  or  so  later  the  Frenchman  and  Conyngham 
met  again  in  the  jail-yard.  The  latter  motioned  his  friend 
aside   to  where   one   of  the   stone   buttresses   hid   them 


IMPRISONMENT  139 


from  the  sight  of  the  sentry  who  was  watching  the 
yard. 

"  Here,"  said  the  captain;  "  with  this  wire  I  have  made 
a  pair  of  spectacles,  and  in  the  evening  no  one  would  no- 
tice that  there  is  not  glass  inside  the  rims." 

As  he  spoke  he  placed  the  wire  upon  his  nose,  drew 
down  his  upper  lip,  and  the  Frenchman  looked  at  him 
and  laughed. 

"My  faith!"  he  said  again,  "it  is  the  doctor  to  the 
life."  And  then,  as  if  an  idea  had  suddenly  dawned  upon 
him,  he  touched  Conyngham  on  the  shoulder.  "  It  is  you 
who  should  try  it,"  he  said.  "  You  shall  have  my  clothes. 
I  can  give  them  to  you  piece  by  piece,  and  as  they  have 
allowed  me  to  keep  some  others  I  shall  not  miss  them." 

At  first  Conyngham  demurred,  but  the  Frenchman  was 
insistent,  and  so  the  next  night  and  the  next  transfers  were 
made  unobserved  in  the  jail-yard,  and  the  captain  secreted 
the  clothing  inside  the  mattress  upon  which  he  slept  on 
the  floor  of  his  cell.  From  another  prisoner  a  hat  was 
obtained  almost  like  the  heavy  three-cornered  affair  that 
the  visiting  doctor  wore.  A  book  was  procured  somewhat 
resembling  the  doctor's. 

Saturday  evening  was  set  for  a  trial  of  the  plan. 
Conyngham  was  most  anxious  to  get  away.  He  had,  by 
his  trick  of  reading  people's  lips,  discovered  that  there 
was  a  plot  on  foot  to  convict  him  if  possible  of  the  charge 
that  hung  over  his  head.  A  man  had  been  found  who 
swore  that  he  had  known  him  in  Ireland,  and  another 
who  had  positively  identified  him  as  his  brother.  If  they 
could  prove  the  contention  that  he  was  a  British  subject 
he  would  have  short  shrift  of  it,  so  it  behooved  him  not 
to  put  off  long  the  attempted  escape. 


i4o  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

Saturday  afternoon  at  about  five  o'clock  the  prisoners 
were  released  in  batches  of  ten  or  a  dozen  for  exercise 
in  the  courtyard.  When  the  door  of  Conyngham's  cell 
was  opened  he  feigned  indisposition,  and  asked  only  to  be 
allowed  to  sit  in  the  doorway  where  he  could  breathe  the 
fresher  air;  but  no  sooner  had  the  turnkey  left  than  he 
quickly  donned  the  Frenchman's  black  small-clothes  and 
the  long  coat,  and  putting  on  the  spectacles  and -the  big 
hat  he  stepped  out  into  the  corridor  that  opened  into  the 
yard.  Imitating  carefully  the  doctor's  step  and  holding 
the  book  under  his  arm,  instead  of  turning  to  the  left  he 
went  down  the  corridor  to  the  right,  at  the  end  of  which 
stood  the  first  sentry  at  the  entrance  to  the  guard-room. 
It  was  dark  in  the  corridor,  and  what  light  there  was 
came  from  behind  him.  The  sentry  hardly  looked  at 
him;  turning  the  key  and  pulling  the  bolt,  he  let  him 
pass. 

He  was  now  in  the  room  that  was  occupied  by  the 
soldiers  whose  special  duty  was  to  watch  the  prisoners 
and  to  patrol  the  outer  walls,  but  the  room,  by  luck,  was 
empty  except  for  a  sergeant,  who,  with  his  coat  off  and 
his  feet  propped  against  the  wall,  sat  snoring  in  a  chair. 
At  first  Conyngham  was  uncertain  which  of  the  two 
doors,  that  led  out  of  the  apartment,  to  take.  He  chose 
the  one  to  the  right  again,  and  opening  it  came  into  an- 
other room  where  at  the  farther  end  three  soldiers  were 
throwing  dice.  They  paused  in  their  game  as  he  entered 
and  looked  up  at  him.  At  first  it  appeared  as  if  the  one 
who  was  holding  the  dice-box  was  about  to  address  him, 
but  one  of  his  companions,  with  an  oath,  exclaimed,  "  It's 
only  the  doctor;  go  on  with  the  game,  you  blockhead!  " 
and  the  men  proceeded,  rattling  the  dice  and  then  tossing 


IMPRISONMENT  141 


them  on  to  the  bench.  Conyngham  walked  past  them  and 
opened  the  door  that  led  out  of  the  prison  entrance,  and 
here  he  had  to  go  through  a  worse  ordeal  than  ever,  for 
he  came  into  the  daylight,  and  there  within  twenty  feet 
of  him  stood  the  man  on  guard.  He  was  in  full  regi- 
mentals, with  his  long  red  coat  and  white  cross-belts,  and 
propped  against  him  at  an  attitude  of  attention  was  his 
loaded  musket  with  the  bayonet  fixed.  Conyngham  pulled 
the  hat  a  little  farther  over  his  eyes,  and  opening  the 
imitation  note-book  he  began  muttering  to  himself  the 
way  he  had  seen  the  doctor  do.  Closer  and  closer  he 
came  to  the  sentry.  In  his  imagination  he  could  feel  the 
man's  eyes  looking  through  and  through  him,  and  he 
thought  he  could  detect  a  shuffling  of  his  feet  as  if  he  was 
stepping  to  intercept  him. 

He  was  past  the  sentry  now,  and  thought  he  was  over 
the  worst  of  it  when  the  latter  spoke. 

"  Halt  there!  The  countersign!  "  the  man  demanded; 
but  as  if  deaf  Conyngham  walked  on.  "Halt  there!" 
came  the  second  hail. 

It  would  never  do  to  stop.  Hastening  his  mincing 
steps  and  as  if  oblivious  of  everything  but  his  note-book, 
the  supposed  doctor  walked  on.  He  even  heard  the  sen- 
try mutter,  "Confound  the  old  fool!  I'd  like  to  send  a 
ball  after  him."     He  never  turned  his  head. 

Now  he  was  free  of  the  shadows  of  the  prison  walls. 
Before  him  stretched  a  wide  street  running  down  to  the 
town,  and  to  the  right  was  a  meadow,  upon  which  were 
some  trees,  with  benches  under  them.  As  he  concluded 
that  it  would  be  better  not  to  trust  his  disguise  any 
further  until  after  dark,  he  walked  over  to  one  of  the 
benches,  and,  still  in  the  sight  of  the  sentry,  sat  down 


142  WITH    THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

and  pretended  to  scribble  something  in  the  note-book. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  sun  had  sunk  below  a  bank  of  clouds 
in  the  west,  and  getting  to  his  feet  he  walked  toward  a 
little  lane,  intending  to  follow  it  until  he  could  turn 
into  the  main  street  some  distance  below.  But  here 
his  good  fortune  deserted  him.  On  the  very  first  cor- 
ner stood  a  man  with  a  basket  on  his  arm.  It  was  a 
huckster  who  had  been  allowed  the  privilege  of  selling 
oranges  and  small  cakes  in  the  prison-yard.  Maybe  the 
sense  of  security  had  caused  the  captain  to  forget  to  imi- 
tate the  doctor's  step.  At  all  events,  as  he  approached 
the  man  with  the  basket  the  latter  turned  and  looked 
at  him  intently;  then,  after  he  had  passed,  the  huck- 
ster walked  quickly  up  the  lane,  and  when  he  had 
reached  the  common  started  at  a  run  for  the  prison 
gate. 

"  That  Yankee  pirate  Conyngham  is  loose!  "  he  cried. 
"  I  just  met  him  yonder  at  the  corner." 

"You're  mad,  man!"  returned  the  sentry.  "That 
was  the  doctor;  he  just  passed  out." 

"  It  was  not,"  replied  the  orangeman  hastily.  "  I 
know  him  well;  it  was  Conyngham  in  disguise." 

The  sentry  was  about  to  call  back  into  the  guard- 
room when  an  officer  appeared.  To  him  the  excited 
orangeman  repeated  the  news. 

"We'll  see  about  this!  "  was  the  officer's  reply,  and 
he  despatched  a  messenger  at  once  to  Conyngham's  cell. 
The  fellow  returned  on  the  run. 

"  It  is  true,  captain!  "  he  cried.  "  Conyngham  is  not 
in  his  cell  or  the  yard,  and  the  doctor  is  calling  the  sick 
list  in  the  French  division." 

An  instant  later  a  drum  rolled  and  a  scurrying  squad 


IMPRISONMENT  143 


of  red-coated  soldiers  hastened  at  double-quick  down  the 
main  street  toward  the  town. 

They  found  the  supposed  doctor  conversing  with  a 
merchant,  at  the  door  of  his  shop,  from  whom  he  was 
asking  directions  and  the  time  of  the  next  coach  going 
to  London,  for  there  Conyngham  knew  of  friends  who 
would  help  him,  and  the  big  city  was  the  safest  hiding- 
place,  as  shall  be  hereinafter  proved.  It  was  useless  to 
offer  resistance,  and  without  a  wrord  he  surrendered  and 
was  marched  back  to  the  prison  gate. 

That  night,  shorn  of  his  good  clothes  and  in  double 
irons,  he  was  placed  once  more  in  the  "  Black  Hole."  He 
dreamed  that  some  one  had  restored  to  him  the  lost  com- 
mission, and  that  instead  of  being  confined  as  a  pirate 
and  a  man  supposed  to  be  guilty  of  high  treason,  he  had 
been  treated  as  an  officer  should  be  and  accorded  the 
privileges  of  his  position;  but  he  awoke  cold  and  stiff, 
with  the  knowledge  that  his  captors  would  now  be  harder 
upon  him  than  ever,  and,  as  he  wrote  in  his  own  diary, 
it  was  "  a  dismal  prospect  "  again. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

FREEDOM 

That  Dr.  Franklin  had  been  much  concerned  in  re- 
gard to  the  treatment  accorded  to  Captain  Conyngham 
by  the  British  authorities  is  proved  by  the  letters  and 
correspondence  that  passed  between  him  and  Conyng- 
ham's  friends.  Let  us  look  at  these  letters  for  a  mo- 
ment and  we  shall  see  that  these  friends  were  not  idle. 
Here  are  the  authentic  copies  of  a  portion  of  the  corre- 
spondence. 

Jonathan  Nesbit,  the  nephew  of  Mr.  James  Nesbit,  of 
Philadelphia,  was  yet  in  Europe,  living  for  the  time  at 
L'Orient,  and  in  September  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Franklin 
as  follows: 

"  L'Orient,  Sept.  22,  lyyg. 

"  Sir:  By  the  brig  Retaliation,  Captain  Kolloch,  which 
left  Philadelphia  the  10th  August,  I  have  received  letters 
informing  me  that  Captain  G.  Conyngham,  late  com- 
mander of  the  cutter  Revenge,  had  the  misfortune  to  be 
taken  last  spring  by  the  Galatea  and  sent  into  New  York, 
from  whence  he  had  been  sent  to  England  with  a  design 
to  have  him  tried  for  piracy.  They  pretend  to  say  that 
he  took  the  Harwich  packet  without  having  any  commis- 
sion, which  your  Excellency  must  know  to  be  false — as 
I  believe  you  were  in  Paris  at  the  time  that  his  com- 
mission and  orders  were  delivered  him.  The  commission 
144 


FREEDOM  145 


under  which  he  acted  as  captain  of  the  Revenge  is  dated, 
I  apprehend,  after  the  taking  of  the  Harwich  packet.  It 
is  on  this  circumstance,  no  doubt,  that  the  charge  of 
piracy  is  founded.  His  first  commission  was  taken  from 
him  in  Dunkirk  after  he  was  put  in  jail  and  sent  up  to 
Paris,  and  I  think  was  lodged  in  the  hands  of  M.  Comte 
de  Vergennes.  I  have  to  request  that  your  Excellency 
will  do  everything  in  your  power  to  prevent  the  poor  fel- 
low from  suffering.  Considering  the  smallness  of  his  ves- 
sel and  the  difficulty  he  labored  under  when  he  first  left 
France,  he  has  done  a  great  deal  for  the  service  of  his 
country.  He  has  done  so  much  harm  to  the  enemy  that 
he  can  expect  no  mercy  at  their  hands,  and  if  they  can 
find  any  pretense  whatever,  they  will  certainly  destroy 
him.  Captain  Kolloch  informs  me  that  he  was  sent  home 
in  irons.  I  should  certainly  have  heard  from  him  was  he 
not  already  confined.  I  once  more  take  the  liberty  to 
recommend  the  unhappy  man's  case  to  your  Excellency's 
particular  attention. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect, 

"  Jonathan  Nesbit." 

Before  this,  however,  Dr.  Franklin  had  been  informed 
of  the  condition  of  affairs,  and  he  had  written  to  secret 
friends  of  America  in  London  and  tried  to  get  them  to 
interfere  in  some  way  for  the  gallant  captain,  or  at  least 
to  endeavor  to  mitigate  the  circumstances  of  his  impris- 
onment.   He  replies  to  Mr.  Nesbit  in  the  following  letter: 

"  To  Mr.  Nesbit. 

44  Passy,  Sept.  2qy  177Q. 

"  Sir:  Captain  Conyngham  has  not  been  neglected. 
As  soon  as  I  heard  of  his  arrival  in  England,  I  wrote  to 


146  WITH    THE    FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

a  friend  to  furnish  him  with  what  money  he  might  want, 
and  to  assure  him  that  he  had  never  acted  without  a  com- 
mission. I  have  been  made  to  understand  in  answer  that 
there  is  no  intention  to  prosecute  him,  and  that  he  was 
accordingly  removed  from  Pendennis  Castle  and  put 
among  the  common  prisoners  at  Plymouth,  to  take  his 
turn  for  exchange.  The  Congress,  hearing  of  the  threats 
to  sacrifice  him,  put  three  officers  in  close  confinement  to 
abide  his  fate,  and  acquainted  Sir  George  Collier  with 
their  determination,  who  probably  wrote  to  the  British 
ministers.  I  thank  you  for  informing  me  what  became 
of  his  first  commission. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  easily  recover  it,  to  produce  on 
occasion.  Probably  the  date  of  that  taken  with  him, 
being  posterior  to  his  capture  of  the  packet,  made  the 
enemy  think  they  had  an  advantage  against  him.  But 
when  the  English  Government  have  encouraged  our 
sailors,  entrusted  with  our  vessels,  to  betray  that  trust, 
run  away  with  the  vessels,  and  bring  them  into  English 
ports,  giving  such  lawful  prizes,  it  was  foolish  impru- 
dence in  the  English  commodore  to  talk  of  hanging 
one  of  our  captains  for  taking  a  prize  without  com- 
mission. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  esteem,  sir, 

"  B.  Franklin." 

Rumors,  and  then  certain  assurance,  soon  came 
to  Paris  that  a  wholesale  escape  of  American  prison- 
ers had  taken  place  from  Mill  prison,  and  on  No- 
vember 23d  Franklin  was  rejoiced  to  receive  the 
following  letter,  dated  November  18th,  at  Amster- 
dam: 


FREEDOM  147 


"  Sir:  I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  on  the 
3d  inst.,  I,  with  about  fifty  of  our  unfortunate  country- 
men, broke  out  of  Mill  prison.  I  brought  three  officers 
with  me.  I  came  by  the  way  of  London,  it  being  the 
safest.  At  London  we  met  with  our  good  friend  Mr. 
Digges,  who  did  everything  in  his  power  to  serve  one 
and  all  his  countrymen  that  chance  to  fall  in  his  way. 
Happy  we  to  have  such  a  man  among  the  set  of  tyrants 
they  have  in  that  country!  The  treatment  I  have  re- 
ceived is  unparalleled.  Iron,  dungeons,  hunger,  the  hang- 
man's cart,  I  have  experienced.  I  shall  set  off  from 
here  the  19th  for  Dunkirk.  There  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you.  I  shall  always  be  ready  to  serve  my  country, 
and  happy  should  I  be  to  be  able  to  come  alongside  some 
of  those  petty  tyrants.  I  find  something  of  the  effects  of 
my  confinement.  In  a  short  time  will  be  able  to  retaliate. 
I  should  at  this  time  go  out  with  Captain  Jones  or  in  the 
squadron,  could  I  have  heard  from  you.  I  should  be  glad 
to  go  for  the  Continent  if  a  good  opportunity  served. 
In  this  I  shall  take  your  advice,  and  act  accordingly. 

"  The  cash  Mr.  Digges  supplied  me  with,  and  some 
necessaries  I  got  at  Plymouth.  The  friend  we  have  at 
Plymouth  is  obliged  to  act  with  the  greatest  caution. 
Mr.  Redmond  Conyngham,  in  Ireland,  has  ordered  me 
some  little  supply  through  the  hands  of  David  Hart- 
ley, of  London — a  mortal  enemy  of  America,  by  all 
accounts. 

"  From  your  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

"  G.  Conyngham." 

One  more  letter — Franklin's  answer  to  this  one  just 
quoted — and  we  have  done  with  the  correspondence. 


148  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN    THE   CHANNEL 

1 4  Passy,  Nov.  22,  iyyg. 

"  Sir:  It  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  of  your  es- 
cape out  of  prison,  which  I  first  learned  from  six  of  the 
men  who  broke  out  with  you  and  came  to  France  in  a 
boat.  I  was  then  anxious  lest  you  should  be  retaken,  and 
I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  hear  of  your  safe  arrival  at  Am- 
sterdam. I  think  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  stay  awhile 
at  Dunkirk  till  we  see  what  becomes  of  the  little  squad- 
ron from  Holland,  for  which  it  is  said  the  English  are 
lying  in  wait  with  superior  force.  The  Congress  resented 
exceedingly  the  inhuman  treatment  you  met  with,  and  it 
ordered  three  English  officers  to  be  confined  in  the  same 
manner,  to  abide  your  fate. 

"  There  are  some  Frenchmen  returned  to  Dunkirk  who 
were  put  by  you  into  one  of  your  first  prizes,  which  was 
afterward  carried  into  England.  I  wish  you  would  adjust 
their  claims  of  wages,  prize  money,  etc.,  and  put  them  in 
a  way  of  getting  what  may  be  due  to  them. 

"  I  write  to  Mr.  CofTyn  by  this  post,  to  supply  you 
with  necessaries.  You  will  be  as  frugal  as  possible,  money 
being  scarce  with  me,  and  the  calls  upon  me  abundant. 

"  With  great  esteem,  I  have  the  honor,  etc., 

"  B.  Franklin." 

Now  let  us  return  to  Conyngham  and  follow  him 
through  the  excitement  of  the  escape  that  he  refers  to 
so  casually. 

The  English  officers  in  charge  of  the  prison  not  only 
visited  revenge  upon  Conyngham's  head  for  the  clever 
ruse  that  had  almost  been  successful,  but  they  made  most 
of  the  other  American  prisoners  suffer  also.  Below 
ground,   under  the  center  of  the  western  wing  of  Mill 


FREEDOM 


149 


prison,  were  the  "  Black  Holes,"  or  dungeons,  and  in  the 
largest  one  of  these  Conyngham,  with  three  officers  of 
American  privateers  and  fifty  men — captured  seamen — 
were  confined.  Four  times  a  day  and  twice  during  the 
night  was  the  damp  and  dismal  apartment  inspected,  and 
yet  no  sooner  had  they  all  been  placed  inside  and  the  heavy 
door  locked  behind  them  than  Conyngham  proposed  that 
a  meeting  should  be  held  and  that  they  should  appoint  a 
leader  who  was  to  rule  and  govern  them.  At  once  the 
proposition  was  made  to  him,  that  as  senior  officer  he 
should  at  once  take  the  responsibility  himself.  At  first 
modestly  he  refused,  but  the  rest  of  the  prisoners  would 
hear  of  nothing  but  his  acceptance,  and  so,  wisely,  the 
first  thing  he  did  was  to  appoint  a  committee  that  exam- 
ined into  each  man's  pedigree  and  position  in  order  to  be 
assured  that  there  were  no  spies  among  them.  No  sus- 
picious persons  were  developed  by  the  inquiry,  and  that 
very  evening  Conyngham  detailed  the  plans  for  the  at- 
tempted escape.  Upon  searching  the  apartment  the  first 
thing  he  discovered  was  a  loose  flat  stone  in  the  flooring. 
Upon  being  removed  the  ground  was  found  to  be  soft 
and  sandy  underneath — so  much  so  that  it  could  be  al- 
most scooped  out  with  the  hand.  Digging  began  that 
very  night  under  Conyngham's  direction,  a  watchful  per- 
son being  placed  at  the  door  to  listen  to  the  approaching 
footsteps  of  the  patrol. 

Conyngham  had  well  gauged  the  distance  and  direc- 
tion that  the  tunnel  should  take  to  bring  him  out  at  the 
edge  of  the  common  outside  of  the  prison  walls.  The 
earth  as  it  was  dug  up  was  concealed  under  the  mat- 
tresses, and  from  thence  transferred  to  the  pockets  of  the 
prisoners,  who  carried  it  out  handful  by  handful  when 


150  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

they  were  in  the  corridor,  the  privileges  of  the  jail-yard 
being  now  denied  them.  During  the  day  and  when  the 
men  were  not  working,  for  they  had  arranged  the  labor 
and  divided  the  time  into  watches  of  half  an  hour  each, 
the  stone  that  concealed  the  opening  was  itself  hidden 
by  one  of  the  straw  pallets. 

The  guards  continued  to  be  unsuspicious,  and  one 
night,  late  in  October,  the  two  men  who  were  at  work 
in  the  farthest  end  of  the  tunnel  came  quickly  back  an- 
nouncing that  they  were  so  close  to  the  surface  that  the 
earth  was  beginning  to  break  and  crumble.  It  was  very 
fortunate  that  they  had  found  beneath  the  first  layer  of 
soft  sand  a  stratum  of  hard  clay  mixed  with  gravel,  which 
required  no  prop  or  support  to  prevent  its  caving.  Work 
now  for  a  time  was  suspended,  Conyngham  concluding 
to  wait  for  the  moonlight  nights,  and  yet  to  choose  one 
when  the  light  would  not  be  too  brilliant.  The  hour  set- 
tled upon  was  when  the  shadow  of  the  prison  would  lie 
heavy  upon  the  spot  where  the  breaking  out  would  take 
place. 

No  better  night  could  one  imagine  than  that  of  the 
first  Monday  of  November,  when  every  one  was  warned 
to  make  ready  for  escape.  Conyngham  himself  led  the 
way  and  dug,  lying  on  his  back  with  the  earth  falling 
all  about  him,  until  at  last  he  could  feel  the  free  air  as 
his  hand  broke  through  the  upper  crust.  In  three  min- 
utes more  a  hole  was  made  sufficiently  large  to  admit  of 
his  thrusting  forth  his  head  and  shoulders. 

It  was  dangerous  indeed,  for  should  a  sentry  happen 
by  any  chance  to  be  in  the  vicinity,  not  only  might  the 
discovery  lead  at  once  to  the  detection  of  the  plot,  but 
also  to  death  by  a  musket-ball.     No  one  was  in  sight! 


f""1 


One  after  another  the  men  were  pulled  forth. 


FREEDOM  151 


The  deep  black  shadows  lay  heavy  under  the  high  wall, 
and  above  it  towered  the  great  roof  of  the  prison. 
Beyond  them  rose  the  square  watch-tower  against  the 
gray  misty  moonlit  sky.  All  at  once  he  heard  a  voice 
behind  him.  It  was  evident  that  if  he  did  not  take  care, 
the  very  eagerness  of  the  men  to  make  their  way  out 
would  prove  their  own  undoing,  for  they  had  already  be- 
gun jostling  and  shoving  one  another,  despite  the  strin- 
gent orders  he  had  given.  With  great  difficulty  he  forced 
his  way  back  through  the  hole,  and  there  in  a  few  earnest 
words  impressed  upon  them  the  necessity  for  caution  and 
patience.  Order  restored  and  the  muttering  stopped,  he 
drew  himself  by  sheer  strength  out  of  the  hole  and  rose 
to  his  knees  on  the  ground  outside.  One  after  another 
the  men  were  pulled  forth.  All  went  well  until  the  last 
man's  turn  came.  I  say  "  man,"  but  in  reality  he  was  a 
huge  overgrown  boy,  whose  weeks  of  imprisonment  had 
not  appeared  to  have  reduced  his  bulk,  for  he  stuck  fast 
in  the  hole  and  apparently  could  not  be  moved  either 
one  way  or  the  other.  If  the  position  had  not  been  so 
full  of  danger  it  might  have  been  found  amusing,  but 
every  minute's  delay  increased  the  prospect  of  discovery, 
so  they  struggled  to  relieve  the  fat  boy  from  his  predica- 
ment. Three  men  had  hold  of  one  of  his  arms,  when  sud- 
denly he  gave  a  sharp  cry.  He  once  had  been  hurt  or 
wounded,  and  in  their  endeavors  to  release  him  they  had 
broken  the  large  bone  of  his  forearm.  However,  after 
his  first  outcry  the  poor  fellow  said  nothing,  and  by  dint 
of  digging  and  more  careful  hauling  they  succeeded  in 
releasing  him. 

By  common  consent  they  were  to  divide  into  small 
parties  and  make  their  way  to  London  or  the  vicinity, 


152  WITH    THE   FLAG    IN    THE    CHANNEL 

where  from  their  various  hiding-places  they  were  to  in- 
form a  certain  Mr.  Digges  of  their  arrival.  It  would  be 
six  hours  and  more  before  their  escape  would  be  dis- 
covered. 

One  by  one,  keeping  close  to  the  cover  of  the  walls, 
they  each  made  the  shelter  of  a  small  clump  of  bushes, 
from  which  they  reached  a  wood  about  a  half  mile  dis- 
tant, where  a  meeting  was  held  to  determine  on  their 
future  course  of  action.  It  was  a  very  short  one,  for 
Conyngham  dominated  it  and  impressed  upon  them  the 
necessity  for  haste.  Soon  all  were  on  the  highroad,  which 
they  followed  for  about  five  miles  and  then  broke  up  in 
small  parties  as  had  been  arranged  for.  Strange  to  say, 
only  fourteen  of  them,  so  far  as  could  be  ascertained, 
were  ever  recaptured.     The  fat  boy  escaped! 

Conyngham  and  one  of  the  officers  were  the  first  to 
reach  London,  where  they  immediately  repaired  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Digges,  who  provided  them  with  food, 
money,  and  clothing,  and  despite  the  great  risk  began 
to  make  preparations  to  assist  the  other  men  as  they 
should  arrive. 

Conyngham,  while  walking  the  streets  of  London,  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  displayed,  in  the  window  of  a  print- 
shop,  a  most  extravagant  print  alleged  to  be  his  portrait, 
"  representing  him  a  man  of  gigantic  stature,  very  broad 
in  the  shoulders,  the  whole  person  indicating  great 
strength,  with  a  ferocious  countenance.  Under  the  arm 
was  a  sword  at  least  six  feet  long,  and  beneath  the  whole 
was  the  legend,  '  The  Yankee  Pirate,  Conyngham,  the 
arch-rebel.    An  Admirable  likeness.'  " 

Soon  a  vessel  was  found  that  was  sailing  for  Amster- 
dam, and  on  board  of  her  Conyngham  embarked  in  the 


FREEDOM  153 


guise  of  an  English  merchant,  but  before  this,  six  of  his 
companions  had  made  their  way  to  the  seacoast,  where 
they  had  helped  themselves  to  a  small  fishing  boat  and 
arrived  safely  on  the  French  coast.  As  soon  as  he 
reached  Amsterdam  he  wrote  the  letter  to  Benjamin 
Franklin  which  we  quoted  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter. 

John  Paul  Jones  was  then  in  the  Texel,  where  he  was 
having  any  amount  of  trouble  with  the  Dutch  authorities 
owing  to  the  objections  of  the  English  representatives  to 
his  remaining  there  with  his  prizes.  Conyngham  joined 
him,  when  at  last  he  was  forced  to  leave,  and  sailed  with 
him  in  the  Alliance;  but  the  captain's  misfortunes  were 
not  yet  over. 


n 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

CONCLUSION 

The  Alliance  put  into  Corunna,  where  Conyngham 
saw  again  representatives  of  the  house  of  Roderigo,  Hor- 
talez  and  Company,  and  learned  that  the  money  received 
for  the  prizes  had  been  forwarded  to  the  commissioner's 
agent  at  Paris. 

Although  he  had  been  treated  as  an  officer  of  the 
regular  service  by  John  Paul  Jones,  and  had  been  sum- 
moned to  attend  a  court-martial  as  such,  Conyngham 
decided  to  return  as  soon  as  possible  to  his  own  country 
and  sailed  in  the  Experiment  for  Philadelphia.  But  most 
unfortunately  his  hard  luck  followed  him.  When  but  a 
few  days  on  the  voyage  the  vessel  was  captured  by  the 
British  Admiral  Edwards,  and  within  three  weeks  Con- 
yngham was  back  once  more  at  Mill  prison.  But  his 
treatment  this  time  was  very  different  from  that  which 
had  been  accorded  him  before;  and  though  his  spirit 
chafed  at  the  delay  and  the  confinement,  still  he  was  not 
forced  to  endure  such  bodily  suffering.  In  prison,  how- 
ever, he  stayed  for  the  rest  of  the  war,  and  upon  his 
release  returned  to  the  United  States. 

Almost  immediately  he  sought  to  have  an  inquiry 
made  and  an  accounting  rendered  for  his  prize-money 
and  reimbursement  for  his  services,  but  owing  to  the  con- 
154 


. . 


&Z2 


//m 


~^\ 


6  4u 

dff  &. 

&*&&  '//t72*r> 

/ 

Ls**afcri+f   A 


'/,:?/?/> 


Facsimile  of  Conyngham's  petition  to  Congress, 
December  26,  1797. 


CONCLUSION  155 


dition  of  affairs  that  existed  at  that  time  it  was  difficult 
to  get  Congress  to  take  any  action.  There  was  indeed 
but  little  money  in  the  Treasury,  and  so  he  was  forced 
to  go  upon  a  voyage  in  a  merchant  vessel,  from  which 
he  returned  to  begin  institution  of  his  long  suit  against 
Congress  for  remuneration  and  redress.  And  now  the 
tragedy  of  his  life  began.  For  year  after  year  he  prayed 
and  petitioned  Congress  to  listen  to  his  plea.  Before  the 
matter  came  actually  to  trial,  good  Dr.  Franklin  was  dead. 
Many  witnesses  could  not  be  procured,  and  some  of  his 
earlier  acquaintances  and  friends  who  had  not  behaved 
in  good  faith  toward  him  now  deserted  him  completely. 

The  missing  commission  would  have  proved  his  posi- 
tion, and  the  search  for  it  became  almost  the  business  of 
his  life.  A  voyage  to  Europe  and  a  personal  investigation 
of  all  clues  failed  to  show  any  trace.  It  had  disappeared 
as  completely  as  if  it  had  never  existed — a  fact  which 
some  of  his  enemies  asserted  to  be  the  case. 

In  this  chapter  we  print  a  facsimile  of  his  petition  to 
Congress,  signed  by  himself  and  dated  ten  years  after 
his  first  services  were  rendered.  It  shows  how  much  hope 
he  had,  and  yet  there  is  a  note  almost  of  despair  that 
rings  throughout  it.  The  claim  was  first  submitted  to 
Benjamin  Walker  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  then  at  the 
head  of  the  Treasury,  and  Mr.  Walker  failed  to  perceive 
any  proof  of  Captain  Conyngham's  having  been  a  regu- 
larly appointed  officer  in  the  service,  and  for  this  reason 
recommended  that  the  claim  be  not  acknowledged.  But 
yet  we  find  him  again  in  1793  petitioning  Alexander 
Hamilton  for  redress.  In  fact,  to  the  day  of  his  death 
he  attempted  in  every  way  to  have  his  claim,  that  he  had 
left  to  the  justice  of  his  country,  adjusted  and  closed  up. 


156  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE    CHANNEL 

During  the  quasi  war  with  France,  Conyngham  com- 
manded an  armed  brig  named  the  Maria,  and  in  the  War 
of  1812  he  again  sought  to  go  to  sea,  but  his  health  pre- 
vented him  taking  an  active  part. 


G/$^t^^.,Js^^  y^ 


^4  m.<U/Ur*   <™   *^^"~    t^Cu^.^^^^ 


Conyngham  died  in  Philadelphia,  November  27,  1819, 
in  the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in 
St.  Peter's  churchyard,  and  on  his  grave  is  an  odd  epitaph 
in  the  form  of  an  acrostic  built  on  the  name  "  Gustavus." 


W     c-      't-'.O 

03      I    6    J 

&    *   1  1 

£  III 


r\ 


u  a  1 


Vs 


to  O  V   .  S 


A     8. 


CONCLUSION 


157 


But  now  appears  the  strangest  part  of  the  whole  story 
— one  of  those  remarkable  instances  that  so  well  prove 
the  old  adage  of  "  facts  being  stranger  than  fiction."  It 
is  the  tragic  epilogue  to  the  play — the  bitter  end  of  the 
thread  that  runs  through  the  whole  of  the  relation.  It 
does  not  take  long  to  tell,  and  surely  it  speaks  for  itself. 

Only  a  short  time  ago  there  appeared  in  the  catalogue 
of  M.  Charavay,  an  autograph  and  print-seller  in  Paris, 
among  hundreds  of  other  notices,  the  following: 

143  Hancock  (John),  celebre  homme  d'Etat  americain, 
gouverneur  du  Massachusetts,  signataire  de  la  Declaration 
de  l'lndependence, — Piece  signe  comme  president  du  congres  ; 
Baltimore,  1  mars  1777,  1  p.  in-fol.  obi.      Rare. 

The  connection  of  names  and  dates  of  course  would 
attract  the  attention  of  any  collector.  It  would  be  seen 
that  most  possibly  it  had  something  to  do  with  Frank- 
lin's sojourn  in  France.  It  was  only  the  price  asked  for 
John  Hancock's  signature — in  fact,  much  less  than  his 
signature  usually  brought  in  the  autograph  market — 
ten  francs.  But  what  was  the  joy  and  surprise  of  its 
present  possessor,  upon  opening  his  new  purchase,  to  find 
that  it  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  missing  com- 
mission of  the  Surprise!  Where  it  had  been,  what  has 
been  its  history  since  it  was  delivered  at  Versailles,  how 
it  came  at  last  into  the  possession  of  a  little  print-shop, 
no  one  can  tell;  but  that  it  had  much  to  do  with  the 
foregoing  story  any  one  can  see.  It  lies  before  the  author 
as  he  writes,  and  is  reproduced  in  these  pages  for  the 
first  time,  that  the  court  of  public  print  may  decide  the 
question.  That  bold  Gustavus  Conyngham  was  badly 
treated  by  his  country  and  hardly  handled  by  Fate  the 
reader  can  perceive.     He  had  helped  the  cause  in  the 


158  WITH   THE   FLAG   IN   THE   CHANNEL 

way  it  most  needed  help,  but,  notwithstanding,  unreward- 
ed, the  man  who  flew  the  flag  in  the  Channel  went 
broken-hearted  to  his  grave,  and  now  out  of  the  past, 
too  late,  comes  the  authentic  proof  of  his  cause  and  as- 
severations. The  world  is  a  small  one  and  strange  things 
happen  in  it,  can  be  the  only  comment. 


(i) 


THE    END 


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The  Boys  of  Greenway  Court,    a  story  of  the  Early 

Years  of  Washington.     With  10  full-page  Illustrations.    $1.50. 

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Paleface  and  Redskin, 

And  Other  Stories  for  Boys  and  Girls.     By  F.  Anstey, 
author  of  "  Vice  Versa,"  etc. 

Christine's  Career. 

By  Pauline  King. 

John  Boyd's  Adventures. 

By  Thomas  W.  Knox. 

We  All. 

By  Octave  Thanet. 

King  Tom  and  the  Runaways. 

By  Louis  Pendleton. 

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Mr.  Barbour  has  made  himself  a  master  of  sport  in  fiction  for  young 
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school  life  that  appeal  to  all  healthy  boys  and  girls.  He  sketches  skating 
and  ice-boating  and  track  athletics,  as  well  as  rowing.  His  glimpses  of 
training  and  his  brilliant  picture  of  the  great  race  will  give  this  capital  tale 
an  enduring  popularity. 

For  the  Honor  of  the  School. 

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C.  M.  Relyea.      $1.50. 

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Boston  Congregatiottalist. 

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Boston  Herald. 

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A    UNIQUE    BOOK. 


11  For  children,  parents,  teachers,  and  all  who  are  interested 
in  the  psychology  of  childhood." 

The  Book  of  Knight  and  Barbara. 

By  David  Starr  Jordan.     Illustrated.      i2mo. 
Cloth,  J  1.50. 

The  curious  and  fascinating  tales  and  pictures  of  this  unique 
book  are  introduced  by  Dr.  Jordan  with  the  following  preface  : 
"The  only  apology  the  author  can  make  in  this  case  is  that  he 
never  meant  to  do  it.  He  had  told  his  own  children  many 
stories  of  many  kinds,  some  original,  some  imitative,  some  traves- 
ties of  the  work  of  real  story-tellers.  Two  students  of  the  de- 
partment of  education  in  the  Stanford  University — Mrs.  Louise 
Maitland,  of  San  Jose,  and  Miss  Harriet  Hawley,  of  Boston — 
asked  him  to  repeat  these  stories  before  other  children.  Miss 
Hawley,  as  a  stenographer,  took  them  down  for  future  reference, 
and  while  the  author  was  absent  on  the  Bering  Sea  Commission 
of  1896  she  wrote  them  out  in  full,  thus  forming  the  material 
of  this  book.  Copies  of  the  stories  were  placed  by  Mrs.  Mait- 
land in  the  hands  of  hundreds  of  children.  These  drew  illus- 
trative pictures,  after  their  fashion  ;  and  from  the  multitude 
offered,  Mrs.  Maitland  chose  those  which  are  here  reproduced. 
The  scenes  in  the  stories  were  also  subjected  to  the  criticisms 
of  the  children,  and  in  many  cases  amended  to  meet  their  sug- 
gestions. These  pictures  made  by  the  children  have  been  found 
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definite  value  as  original  documents  in  the  study  of  the  workings 
of  the  child-mind.  At  the  end  of  the  volume  are  added  a  few 
true  stories  of  birds  and  of  beasts,  told  to  a  different  audience. 
With  these  are  a  few  drawings  by  university  students,  which  are 
intended  to  assist  the  imagination  of  child-readers." 

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BY  CYRUS  TOWNSEND  BRADY. 
The  Quiberon  Touch. 

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$1.50. 

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"  This  story  has  a  real  beauty  ;  it  breathes  of  the  sea.  Fenimore  Cooper 
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ter in  these  descriptions  of  the  tug  of  war  as  it  was  in  the  eighteenth  century 
between  battle-ships  under  sail." — New  York  Mail  and  Express. 

Commodore  Paul  Jones. 

A  new  volume  in  the  Great  Commander  Series,  edited 
by  General  James  Grant  Wilson.  With  Photogravure 
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11  cents  additional. 

"  A  thousand  times  more  interesting  than  any  of  the  so-called  historical 
romances  that  are  now  in  vogue." — Spirit  of  the  Times. 

"  Mr.  Brady's  vigorous  style,  vivid  imagination,  and  dramatic  force  are 
most  happily  exhibited  in  this  book." — Philadelphia  Press. 

"  Incomparably  fine.  Being  the  work  of  a  scholarly  writer,  it  must  stand 
as  the  best  popular  life  yet  available.  The  book  is  one  to  buy  and  own.  It 
is  more  interesting  than  any  novel,  and  better  written  than  most  histories." — 
Nautical  Gazette. 

Reuben  James. 

A  Hero  of  the  Forecastle.  A  new  volume  in  the  Young 
Heroes  of  Our  Navy  Series.  Illustrated  by  George 
Gibbs  and  Others.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.00. 

"  A  lively  and  spirited  narrative." — Boston  Herald. 

"  Mr.  Brady  has  made  a  stirring  tale  out  of  the  material  before  him,  one 
of  those  brilliant  and  forceful  descriptions  of  the  glories  of  the  old  wooden- 
walled  navy,  which  stir  the  blood  like  a  trumpet  call." — Brooklyn  Eagle. 

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RECENT  FICTION. 


Kate  Bonnet. 

The  Romance  of  a  Pirate's  Daughter.  By  Frank  R. 
Stockton,  author  of  "  Rudder  Grange,"  "  The  Lady  or 
Tiger,"  etc.     Illustrated.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

"A  cleverly  conceived  and  neatly  developed  story  into  which 
Stockton  has  injected  a  goodly  portion  of  his  peculiarly  fantastic 
genius.  ...     It  has  not  a  dull  page." — Boston  Advertiser. 

Love  in  Its  Tenderness. 

By  J.  R.  Aitken.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.00  ;  paper,  50  cents. 

"  It  reminds  us  of  Ian  Maclaren,  yet  Mr.  Aitken  has  traits 
peculiarly  his  own." — London  Echo. 

"  An  unstudied  pathos  and  charm  and  radiant  simplicity  pervade 
the  book." — London  Daily  News. 

Scarlet  and  Hyssop. 

By  E.  F.  Benson,  author  of  "  Dodo,"  "  Mammon  &  Co.," 
"The  Luck  of  the  Vails,"  etc.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

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signal  success  in  '*  Dodo,"  and  his  new  novel  reveals  a  brilliancy, 
social  knowledge  and  worldly  wisdom  that  show  how  much  the  author 
has  grown  in  force  and  pungency  since  the  appearance  of  his  first 
book. 

The  Strength  of  the  Weak. 

By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss,  author  of  "Betsy  Ross," 
"  In  Defiance  of  the  King,"  etc.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

"  Mr.  Hotchkiss  firmly  sustains  the  excitement  of  his  story  at  a 
pitch  that  holds  the  attention  of  the  reader  strongly  in  eager  anticipa- 
tion without  wearying  him  from  excessive  vigor." — Baltimore  Herald. 

A  Fool's  Year. 

By  E.  H.  Cooper.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.00;  paper,  50  cents. 

"  A  well-written  book  with  obvious  marks  of  unusual  culture." — 
New  York  Commercial  Advertiser . 

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A  PICTURESQUE  BOOK  OF  THE  SEA. 
A  Sailors  Log. 

Recollections  of  Forty  Tears  of  Naval  Life.  By  Rear- 
Admiral  Robley  D.  Evans,  U.  S.  N.  Illustrated. 
Large  i2mo.     Cloth,  $2.00. 

"It  is  essentially  a  book  for  men,  young  and  old  ;  and  the 
man  who  does  not  enjoy  it  is  lacking  in  healthy  red  blood." — 
Chicago  Bookseller. 

**  A  profoundly  interesting  book.  There  is  not  a  line  of  bra- 
vado in  its  chapters,  nor  a  carping  criticism.  It  is  a  book  which 
will  increase  the  esteem  and  high  honor  which  the  American  feels 
and  willingly  awards  our  naval  heroes. " — Chicago  Liter-Ocean. 

"It  would  be  difficult  to  find  an  autobiography  possessing 
more  interest  than  this  narrative  of  forty  years  of  active  naval  serv- 
ice. It  equals  the  most  fascinating  novel  for  interest ;  it  contains 
a  great  deal  of  material  that  has  a  distinct  historical  value.  .  .  . 
Altogether  it  is  a  most  delightful  book." — Brooklyn  Eagle. 

"  His  is  a  picturesque  personality,  and  he  stands  the  supreme 
test  by  being  as  popular  with  his  officers  and  men  as  he  is  with 
the  public  generally.  His  life  has  been  one  of  action  and  adven- 
ture since  he  was  a  boy,  and  the  record  of  it  which  he  has  pre- 
pared in  his  book  *A  Sailor's  Log'  has  not  a  dull  line  in  it  from 
cover  to  cover.  It  is  all  action,  action,  and  again  action  from  the 
first  page  to  the  last,  and  makes  one  want  to  go  and  '  do  things  ' 
himself.  Any  boy  between  fifteen  and  nineteen  who  reads  this 
book  and  does  not  want  to  go  to  sea  must  be  a  sluggish  youth. 
.  .  .  The  book  is  really  an  interesting  record  of  an  interesting 
man." — New  York  Press. 

D.     APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW     YORK. 


1 

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